Before/After-Control/Impact (BACI) Ecosystem Management Evaluation


Description : This report highlights the overall outcomes of ecosystem management projects implemented by 12 Conservation Corps programs between 2021-2023. For this evaluation, a cohort of environmental stewardship AmeriCorps programs (i.e., the Public Lands Service Coalition or PLSC) conducted a multi-state evaluation to assess the impact AmeriCorps members have on reducing invasive species and minimizing wildfire fuel loads on public lands. A Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) quasi-experimental design was utilized to strengthen evidence of AmeriCorps members’ environmental stewardship. The evaluation measured outcomes on project sites treated by AmeriCorps members and assessed the same set of ecosystem indicators on comparison sites. Assessment of treatment, or impact, plots and control plots was performed before and after treatment was conducted in impact areas. This evaluation focused on understanding the ability of AmeriCorps members to reduce invasive species populations and reduce wildfire risk on public lands. Activities implemented by AmeriCorps members are having positive outcomes on the landscape by:

  • A) reducing the prevalence of target invasive species for up to a year following treatment
  • B) increasing prevalence of beneficial species across the landscape
  • C) reducing the fuel load for up to a year following treatment

Publish Date : April 2024

Author/Source : Public Lands Service Coalition

Type : Research/Report