Erik Martin

The Nature Conservancy

As governments and non-state actors strive to minimize global warming, a primary strategy is the decarbonization of power systems which will require a massive increase in renewable electricity generation. Leading energy agencies forecast a doubling of global hydropower capacity as part of that necessary expansion of renewables. While hydropower pro...

This is the first national-scale prioritization of Nepalese Rivers based on environmental, socio-cultural, and livelihood services they provide.

Policy makers are interested in managing forests to store carbon. Optimizing this strategy requires understanding how carbon storage varies across environmental gradients. We explored variation in tree growth rate, tree longevity, and surface soil organic matter across 135 Connecticut River riparian forest plots. Tree growth rate did not vary signi...

Dams, road crossings, and water withdrawals extensively fragment rivers, and watersheds often contain hundreds or thousands of barriers, some of which no longer meet societal purposes. Accordingly, both conservationists and infrastructure managers are faced with the challenge of prioritizing barriers for repair, replacement, or removal. Candidate p...

There are tens of thousands of dams and millions of road‐stream crossings in the eastern United States (U.S.) which can prevent fish and other aquatic organisms from accessing key habitats. There is growing momentum in the eastern U.S., and throughout the country, to remove dams which no longer serve their intended purpose, provide improved fish pa...

Rapidly developing countries contain both the bulk of intact natural areas and biodiversity, and the greatest untapped natural resource stocks, placing them at the forefront of “green” economic development opportunities. However, most lack scientific tools to create development plans that account for biodiversity and ecosystem services, diminishing...

Technical overview of the Resource Investment Optimization System (RIOS). (DOCX)

Quintile scores for all sub-watershed polygons dividing the country into highest (dark red) to lowest (dark blue) priority areas for each hydrologic ecosystem service. (A-C) Erosion control, nitrogen retention, and phosphorous retention for the “all population” scenario. (D-F) Erosion control, nitrogen retention, and phosphorous retention for the “...

Global hydropower capacity is projected to approximately double from the 2010 installed capacity of 1,000 gigawatts (GW). This expansion would require a dramatic increase in the number of hydropower dams in river basins around the world, including many basins that still have natural, free-flowing rivers. Although hydropower can play an important ro...

This paper examines the potential effects of urbanization on streamflow in Maine, USA, from 1950 to 2000. The study contrasts nine watersheds in southern Maine, which has seen steady urban growth over the study period, with nine rural watersheds from northern Maine. Historical population data and current land cover data are used to develop an urban...