Impact/Purpose:

GENERIC RARE OBJECTIVE: The Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) provides the Regions with a mechanism to address near term research needs through an ORD Laboratory/Center. Any applied research project that a Region identifies and that an ORD laboratory has the expertise to carry out will be considered if the three following conditions are met: 1) projects must be funded through an ORD Laboratory or Center, 2) the project must fall within with defined mission of the selected ORD Laboratory/Center, and 3) proposals must be research-oriented.

Level III and IV ecoregions of Missouri and Iowa were defined to provide a common framework for state and federal resource management agencies as well as academicians to: 1. Better understand and manage biological and land-based resources; 2. Structure more meaningful regional water quality standards and criteria; 3. Facilitate and structure resource assessment and reporting; and 4. Provide a mechanism for integration of resource management activities across agencies and programs that have different responsibilities for the same geographic areas.

Description:

Level III ecoregions were refined and subdivided for Iowa and Missouri in a manner consistent with ecoregion work that has been completed or is on-going in 37 of the conterminous United States. The project was collaborative, involving scientists and resource managers from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the US Geological Survey, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, EPA Region 7, and EPA/NHEERL-Western Ecology Division. The final product is a map/poster which contains the map, photos, descriptions, and tables of characteristics of the Level III and IV ecoregions of Iowa and Missouri. This product was published by the US Geological Survey in Reston, VA, in 2002.

Record Details: