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We assessed the extent to which inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) on USDA Forest Service lands contain biophysical features that complement the conservation reserve network (e.g., national parks, designated wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges) in the United States. We compared the percentage of land area in IRAs and conservation reserves across three geographic divisions (Alaska, East, and West), 83 ecoregions, 10 elevation zones, and 11 land-cover classes. We also summarized variation in the size class distribution of IRAs.Of the 83 ecoregions evaluated in the United States, 28 have Ͼ12% of their total area in conservation reserves. If IRAs are considered with conservation reserves, the number of ecoregions exceeding the 12% threshold increases from 28 to 32. When only national forest land in the ecoregions is considered, the area of designated wilderness exceeds 12% in 18 of the 45 ecoregions summarized. If IRAs are considered along with designated wilderness, the number of ecoregions exceeding the 12% threshold increases from 18 to 32.On national forest land below 1500 m, 10% is designated wilderness and 18.5% is IRA. Above 1500 m, 20% is designated wilderness and 31.5% is IRA. If IRAs are considered along with designated wilderness, all land-cover classes (except water in the West) would exceed the 12% threshold in Alaska and the West. In the East, only the evergreen forest class would exceed the 12% threshold when IRAs are considered with designated wilderness.Of 462 polygons of designated wilderness in the national forests, 353 are Ͻ20 250 ha, and 25 areas exceed 101 175 ha. If adjacent IRA land is considered along with national forest wilderness, the number of areas Ͻ20 250 ha decreases to 295, and the number of areas Ͼ101 175 ha increases to 45.These results highlight the contribution that IRAs could make toward building a representative network of conservation reserves in the United States. Including these areas as reserves would expand ecoregional representation, increase the area of reserves at lower elevations, and increase the number of areas large enough to provide refugia for species needing large tracts relatively undisturbed by people. Even with the addition of IRAs, many ecoregions in the United States would remain underrepresented in the reserve network, especially in the East.

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Absiract: Direct and indirect gradient analysis methods were tested to assist in nature reserve design in New Zealand Graphic descl-iptions were made of community-environment relationships. Environmental factors considered included altitude solar radiation, geologic substrate soil drainage, and landform. Classification identified 21 lowland forest community types in the northwestern South Island study area These community types and their composite species appear to be arranged along soil fertility, landfomz, and temperature gradients. Direct gradient analysis was particularly useful in portraying the relationship of the plant communities to perceived environmental gradients. Comprehensive gradient diagrams for an ecological district may be compared with gradient diagrams depicting the district's current reserves, qany. A representative reserve system may be achieved if 'gaps" between the two diagrams are filled in by expanding the reserve system andlor modifying existing reserve boundaries. Based on this technique a recommendation is made to incorporate a unique coastal forest remnant in a national park proposal for the study area a Species codes: MYRAUS, Myrsine australis (Myrsinuceae) MACEXG Macropiper excelsum (Piperaceae) M O W , Rhopalostylis sapida (Arecaceae) M m , Melicytus ramiflorus (Violaceae) METROB, Metrosideros robusta (Myrtaceae) €€BARB, Hedycarya arborea (Monimiaceae) DACDAC, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (Podocatpaceae) ELADm, Elaeocarpus dentatus (EZaeaocarpaceae) MYRSU, Myrsine salicina (Mytsinaceae) PRUFEhB, Prumnopitys ferrigineus (Podocatpaceae) WELRAC, Weinmannia racemosa (Cunoniaceae) NOPUS Nothofagus fusca (Fagaceae) NOTME& N. menziesii (Fagaceae) DACCUP, Dacrydium cuppressimum (Podocatpaceae) NOmRG Nothofagus truncata (Fagaceae) PODHAL, Podocarpus hallii (Podocatpaceae) QUISER, Quintinia serrata (Escalloniaceae) METUMB, Metrosideros umbellata (Myrtaceae) P H Y M , Phyllocladus aspleniifolius var. alpinus (Podocatpaceae) NOTSOL, Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Fagaceae) LEPIm, Lepidothamnus intermedius (Podocatpaceae) LEPSCO, Leptospermum scoparius (Myrtaceae)