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Development
and Assessment of Environmental Indicators based on Birds and Amphibians
in the Great Lakes Basin
(Abstract
PDF)
Investigators
and Institutions:
Robert W. Howe, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, University
of Wisconsin, Green Bay;
JoAnn Hanowski, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota
Duluth;
Charles R. Smith, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.
Objectives:
This proposal
is part of a multi-disciplinary investigation involving scientists from
seven academic institutions, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
and US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division. Cooperators will address a
central question: "What environmental indicators can most efficiently,
economically, and effectively measure and monitor the condition, integrity,
and long-term sustainability of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems?"
Specific
objectives of this subproposal are to:
1) develop a suite of scientifically robust, cost-effective indices of
bird and amphibian assemblages that reflect ecological condition of the
Great Lakes;
2) quantify the extent to which these indices are related to environmental
pressure indicators such as land use characteristics, water quality, presence
of exotic species, and hydrological modifications;
3) derive predictive models based on statistical relationship between
pressure indicators and indices of bird/amphibian diversity and abundance;
4) use these models to infer ecological conditions at local and regional
scales and to establish or improve the baseline for environmental monitoring
programs;
5) develop a quality assurance/quality control infrastructure for future
assessments of bird and amphibian communities; and, ultimately,
6) provide scientific recommendations for improving and monitoring the
ecological health of the Great Lakes basin.
Experimental
Approach:
Birds and amphibians in the Great Lakes basin react to ecological stressors
in complementary ways: amphibians are sensitive to local factors such
as water quality and microhabitat availability, whereas birds are sensitive
to larger scale factors such as landscape degradation and habitat area.
We will evaluate Great Lakes ecosystem types (coastal wetlands, shorelines,
estuaries) within watersheds and coastal reaches. Standardized methods
will be used to sample a large number of sites for birds and amphibians.
Data will provide a basis for multivariate analyses of species' associations
and environmental correlates. These analyses will be used to develop indices
of biotic integrity based on observed species composition relative to
species assemblages in undisturbed "reference" sites. Our research
will evaluate indices of biotic integrity at a variety of scales and circumstances,
addressing biogeographic patterns within the Great Lakes basin and needs
of policy-makers at local, regional, and national levels. In collaboration
with other investigators, we will test statistical relationships between
independently measured environmental stressors (pressure indicators) and
proposed indices of biotic integrity (state indicators).
Expected
Results:
The final product will include a suite of bird and amphibian indicators
of ecological condition in the Great Lakes basin. We also will recommend
a long-term monitoring strategy that minimizes costs while maximizing
statistical power for discriminating degraded vs. high quality ecosystems.
Results from our analysis will be shared with land managers and policymakers
as tools for sustainable management of the Great Lakes' coastal environment.
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