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Hosts:
w Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
w Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

Sponsors:
w Michigan Department of Transportation
w U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office
w U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5
w Michigan Coastal Management Program, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
w National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
w U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
  Brooks Williamson and Associates, Inc.
w Land Resource Management Group
w North Jackson Company
w HACH Environmental
w Ernst Conservation Seeds
w Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners
w Michigan Natural Features Inventory
w Others to be added.
   
Cooperating Parties:
w American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
w Federal Geographic Data Committee - Wetlands Remote Sensing Working Group
  Grand Valley State University, Annis Water Resources Institute
w Great Lakes Commission
w Inland Seas Education Association
  Michigan State University
w Society of Wetland Scientists-North Central Chapter
w Tipp of the Mitt Watershed Council
w U.S. National Ramsar Committee
w Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
w Others to be added.
   









































































































































































































































































 


International Symposium
Wetlands 2006

Applying Scientific, Legal, and Management Tools for the
Great Lakes and Beyond


August 28-31, 2006

Grand Traverse Resort,
Near Traverse City, Michigan

Abstracts (PDF)
Sponsorship/Cooperating Parties
Exhibit/Poster
Registration
Hotel/Travel

ABSTRACTS
(1of 7)
(Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7)
Please note, more abstracts will be added. Not all speakers have submitted abstracts. Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by the name of the speaker.

Abstracts on this page by: (updated 8-17-06)

Abraham Adams Albert (1 of 2)
Albert (2 of 2) Anderson Attum
Awl Barton Beilfuss
Bostwick Bourdaghs Bourgeau-Chavez
Brakhage Bridgham Bryan
Burton
How to Implement Integrated Design and Planning for Urban Wetland Management
 
Authors/Presenters*:
Lindsay P. Abraham
Abraham Consulting
3172 Lincoln Road
Standish, MI 48658
(989) 846-2772
labraham2772@esagelink.com

and

Debra R. Abraham*
Abraham Consulting
(989) 345-5490, Ext. 117
debra.abraham@macd.org
Urban wetland management that successfully leads to protection, restoration and enhancement of the ecological integrity of a wetland, involves careful planning and design by various stakeholders. Stakeholders include state and federal agencies, business, industry, and the public community.

There is a growing movement to implement integrated planning and design in areas of urban development. The issues of stormwater runoff and proper filtration of pollutant loads are concerns in development. Searfoss Developments (Tim Searfoss) in Ogemaw County, Michigan, proposes to design an area with 45 residential sites. He plans to utilize some existing wetlands, and to enhance or replace a portion of wetlands with even higher quality, natural filtration systems, such as rain gardens. Each residential site would be designed so the runoff from that site would filtrate into a rain garden on that parcel, and/or into the development's larger rain garden filtration system. This would allow runoff to be filtrated naturally, and numerous times, before entering the groundwater. Other concepts in "green" infrastructure would also be introduced.

This proposal includes an invitation for the Environmental Protection Agency to utilize this site as a pilot study and monitor its effectiveness over a five-year period.

The goal of this project is a 'zero-stormwater runoff development' which, first, protects as much of the existing wetland as possible and, second, designs and installs improved, high-performance wetlands where needed to achieve these goals.

Key words: Implement, integrated, design, planning, wetland management, high-performance wetland, rain garden, filtration, 'green' infrastructure, stormwater runoff, pilot study.
 
Black Tern Population Trends, Habitat Characteristics and Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
 
Authors/Presenter*:
David Adams*, Irene Mazzocchi, and Jeffrey Corser
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
(518) 402-8902; Fax: 518-402-8925
djadams@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, an Endangered species in New York State, have experienced a 56% decline in the number of breeding pair documented during 7 statewide censuses, 1989-2004. At an annual rate of -3.4% (R2 = 0.73, p = 0.014) the species will become extirpated from the State by 2027 if this trend continues. The estimated number of breeding pairs in 2004 was 178, with only 15 sites having confirmed breeding activity. Pairwise cross correlations on abundance (~0) infer a high degree of movement among sites, in particular, six marshes appear to be acting as population sources. During 2002 habitat assessments were conducted which indicated that sites which had maintained a stable Black Tern breeding population contained more plots with vegetation less than 50 cm in height (t=-2.06, p<0.1); more plots with moderate dense vegetation (t=.017, p<0.1) and fewer plots with very dense vegetation (t=1.81, p<0.1); more core plots with 3 m diameter pools (t=-2.18, p<0.1); and more plots with muskrat activity (t=-2.45, p<0.1) than did declining sites. To understand the impacts of lake level stabilization on coastal wetlands, and formerly occupied Black Tern breeding sites, an analysis of emergent marsh habitat available over time is being conducted using aerial photography, 1938 to 2005.
 
The Effects of Different Management Techniques Upon the Shoreline Wetland Vegetation of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron and Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan
 
Author/Presenter:
Dennis A. Albert, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Michigan State University Extension
Stevens T. Mason Building
P.O. Box 30444
Lansing, MI 48909-7944
(517) 335-4580; Fax: (517) 373-9566
albertd@michigan.gov; albertd@msue.msu.edu
 
In 2004 and 2005 during a low-water level period on the Great Lakes, sampling was conducted in paired plots to investigate the effects of different management techniques being used by local Great Lakes shoreline property owners to remove emergent vegetation from the shoreline in front of their homes or businesses. The effects of three common techniques, mowing, disking or plowing, and hand-removal, upon the long-term viability of the dominant perennial emergent vegetation were compared, with biomass comparisons of both the above- and below-ground plant structures. While mowing reduced the biomass of both the above- and below-ground plant structures, disking, plowing, and regular hand-removal resulted in the complete elimination of the perennial vegetation within the two-year period. Below-ground investigations also provided additional insights into differences in ecosystem process across the study area.
 
Multiple Year Vegetation Sampling in a Northern Lake Huron Coastal Wetland to Document Changes Related to Natural Water-Level Fluctuations
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Dennis A. Albert, Ph.D.*
Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Michigan State University Extension
Research Ecologist
Stevens T. Mason Building
P.O. Box 30444
Lansing, MI 48909-7944
(517) 335-4580; Fax: (517) 373-9566
albertd@michigan.gov; albertd@msue.msu.edu

and

Thomas M. Burton, and Donald G. Uzarski
 
Vegetation sampling was conducted along transects annually in late July from 1996 through 2004, a period in which water levels reached extreme highs, followed by a period of several years when water levels were below mean. Sampling was conducted in two wetlands, Mackinac Bay and Mismer Bay, within the Les Cheneaux Island area of northern Lake Huron. Transect sampling of wetland vegetation, organic depth, soil texture, and water depth began in the wet meadow zone and continued into the emergent marsh. Temporal and spatial patterns of species change along an elevation gradient, plant diversity and Floristic Quality Index change by marsh zone, and response of exotic plants were documented over the nine year period.
 
Biodiversity in Selected Natural Communities Related to Global Climate Change
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Craig Anderson*, Janeen Laatsch, and Bill Smith
Bureau of Endangered Resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
(608) 267-5037; Fax: (608) 266-2925
Craig.Anderson@dnr.state.wi.us
 
Climate change is likely to cause significant ecological changes. Organisms are expected to respond through changes in range, abundance, and other parameters. In Wisconsin, peatlands occur primarily in the north and become progressively rarer to the south and west. Because peatlands contain so many species south of their normal range, some type of response to a changing climate might be expected. Goals of this five-year study are to provide baseline data on the presence, abundance, and distribution of selected plant and animal species strongly associated with peatlands in WI. Because the intent is to repeat the study in 15-20 years, an important consideration is to develop a replicable methodology. Taxonomic groups addressed include small mammals, breeding passerine birds, selected terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, other rare herps, and rare vascular plants. Potentially other groups (e.g., bryophytes) may be addressed a well. Two survey intensities are being used: intensive and extensive. Sampling is being conducted for each taxonomic group annually at thirteen reference sites distributed throughout the state. Photo points have also been established at these sites. Also, sampling is being conducted at up to 200 randomly chosen sites for selected taxa. Standardized survey methods are being used. Sampling points and specimen observation and collection locations are being gathered with handheld GPS units and converted into GIS shape files. Data are being entered into appropriate databases. We have finished the first two years of surveys and new distribution data are summarized.
 
Wetland Complexes and Upland-Wetland Linkages: Landscape Effects on the Distribution of Rare and Common Wetland Species
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Omar Attum* and Bruce A. Kingsbury
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 E. Coliseum Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
attumo@ipfw.edu, kingsbur@ipfw.edu

Yu Man Lee
Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Michigan State University Extension
P.O. Box 30444
Lansing, MI 48909-7944
leeyu@michigan.gov

and

John H. Roe
Institute for Applied Ecology
University of Canberra
Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
j.roe@student.canberra.edu.au
 
An unrealized value of metapopulaton and landscape ecology concepts such as connectivity and patch size is their application to test the importance of upland-wetland linkages for wetland species. We examined how habitat connectivity and patch size influenced the distribution of two common wetland species, the northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) and midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata), and two rare wetland species, the copper-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta) and Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). We tested whether connectivity (wetland distance to other wetlands), connectivity quality (wetland distance to roads and forest area within 30 m, 125 m, 250 m, 500 m, and 1000 m of the wetland), and patch size (wetland size and shoreline length) affected the distribution of these four species. Our results show that both common species were more likely to occur in larger, less isolated wetlands, but their distribution was not influenced by proximity to roads or the amount of adjacent forest area. In contrast, both rare species were more likely to occur in wetlands with more shoreline length, that were farther away from roads and with increased forest area up to 250 m buffer zones. However, wetland distance to the nearest wetland were not significant predictors of either rare species' distribution. Our results suggest that management practices should focus on protecting wetlands complexes and maintaining upland-wetland linkages through improving landscape connectivity by maintaining forests surrounding wetlands and reducing road effects. Keywords: connectivity, patch size, metapopulation, wetland complexes, buffer zone, roads
 
Regional Application of Rapid and GIS Level Assessment Methods for Wetland Resource Evaluation and Management
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Jane Awl*
TVA Regional Natural Heritage Project
400 West Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37902-1401
(865) 632-6362; Fax: (865) 632-4582
djawl5@tva.gov

and

James Groton and Britta Dimick
Scientific Applications International Corporation
151 Lafayette Drive
P.O. Box 2501
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federal agency which manages land and water resources across seven states in the interior southeastern United States, including a system of over 50 freshwater reservoirs. The TVA region encompasses a diverse range of landscapes, including mountains, foothills, valleys, plateau, interior basin, and coastal plain. The types of wetlands and other habitats found in this region are similarly diverse. Standard methods for the assessment of natural resources that can be applied throughout this entire region are needed for consistent and defensible environmental decision-making. Developing assessment methods which are applicable to such a diverse array of wetland types has presented a challenge. Additionally, decision time-frames and budgets are always limiting factors. In order to be useful, assessment methods must be both cost-effective and provide timely results. This presentation describes applications of rapid and GIS level assessment methods for the evaluation of wetlands in this region, as well as the development of additional tools and resources to support these assessments. Specific applications considered include wetland permitting, mitigation, monitoring, and resource management.
 
The Effects of Management on the Vagility of the Federally Endangered Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly
 
Author/Presenter:
Barb Barton
Associate Program Leader - Zoology
Michigan Natural Features Inventory - Michigan State University Extension
P.O. Box 30444
Stevens T. Mason Building
Lansing MI 48909

Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Entomology - Michigan State University
Department of Entomology
243 Natural Science
E. Lansing, MI 48824
(734) 576-8427
bartonb1@msu.edu
bartonb1@michigan.gov
 
Mitchell's satyr (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii) is an endangered prairie fen butterfly found in only 19 isolated populations in southern Michigan and northern Indiana. In southern Michigan, fens occur as small islands within a matrix of agricultural and natural habitats unsuitable for N. m. mitchellii. Due to the suppression of natural disturbances within individual fen systems, suitable satyr habitat is increasingly fragmented as woody species invasion causes barriers to satyr dispersal. One conservation challenge is to determine the most effective way of moving individuals between suitable sites in order to maintain genetic viability. Previous research indicates that the butterflies are capable of flying up to 600 meters during their three week flight period, not nearly far enough to reach other occupied habitats. The study presented in this talk will focus on satyr movement between managed open fen habitat and shrub carr within sites, and discuss upcoming studies to test the effects of artificially created corridors on satyr movement and of prescribed burning on N. m .mitchellii survival. This research is part of intensive management effort by conservation organizations, State and Federal governmental agencies, and zoos to enhance and restore prairie fen habitat in Michigan to conserve this and other rare species.
 
Developing a Strategic Approach to Wetland Conservation in Wisconsin Through an Analysis of Threats
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Katie Beilfuss*
Wetland Conservation Project Coordinator and Membership & Operations Coordinator
Wisconsin Wetlands Association
222 S. Hamilton Street #1
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 250-9971; Fax: (608) 287-1179
katie@wiscwetlands.org; www.wiscwetlands.org

and

Becky Abel
Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Wisconsin Wetlands Association is one of many groups that struggles with how to most strategically approach wetlands conservation. In 2005, the organization launched a statewide analysis of threats to wetlands in Wisconsin with the goal of identifying strategic approaches for working proactively to help slow wetland loss and improve wetland protections. We anticipate that the results of our analysis will not only provide a roadmap for Wisconsin Wetlands Association's work, but will also provide a useful tool for others. For example, the results of the analysis may clarify to the state's future wetland issues and may uncover research needs that, once addressed, will help agencies and organizations develop more effective strategies for wetland conservation.

Our analysis involves consulting with statewide wetland experts and reviewing existing conservation plans to 1) identify the threats to each of twelve types of wetland, by geographic region, in Wisconsin, 2) rank the extent, severity, contribution, and reversibility of each of these threats, 3) identify important wetland sites in the state, and 4) identify and rank threats to these important wetland sites. We are also evaluating "opportunity areas" where tourism or recreation potential can contribute to wetland preservation efforts.

The results from this analysis will provide powerful tools for us and our partners to use in the fight for wetland conservation, focusing our efforts toward those that are most strategic for long-term wetlands conservation. These efforts will include outreach, policy, and program work.
 
Field Perspective on Identification of Wetlands and Other Waters after Rapanos & Carabell
 
Author/Presenter:
Peg Bostwick
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality-LWMD
P.O. Box 30458
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 335-3470 Fax: (517) 241-8098
bostwicp@michigan.gov
 
The recent Supreme Court decision in the Rapanos and Carabell cases has created, at a minimum, a significant uncertainty gap regarding federal jurisdiction over our nation's waters. Various suggestions have been advanced - by the Court itself and by assorted public interest groups - regarding possible responsibility for filling whatever regulatory gap exists. These suggestions include (1) assumption of greater responsibility by state and local agencies for waters that are isolated or not traditionally navigable; (2) development of improved regulations by the Corps and EPA to more clearly link regulated waters to interstate commerce or to traditionally navigable waters; (3) Congressional action; or (4) some combination of the above.

This panel has been asked to discuss such suggestions from the perspective of those who work at the field level, where permits are issued and where people, property, and natural resources are impacted on a day to day basis. What can and should states and tribes do in response to these decisions? How have these opinions impacted federal permit programs and wetland resources on the ground? What have our elected representatives been hearing from their constituents?

The opinions expressed by this panel are expected to be practical, down to earth, and will most definitely not represent the "official" views of any agency or organization. Questions, comments, and discussion by those attending this session will be encouraged.
 
Assessing the Quality and Quantity of Depressional Wetlands in a Minnesota Watershed
Using a Probabilistic Survey
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Michael Bourdaghs* and John Genet
Environmental Analysis & Outcomes Division
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-7437
Michael.Bourdaghs@state.mn.us

and

Anthony R. Olsen
Western Ecology Division
USEPA National Health and Environmental Research Laboratory
Corvallis, OR
 
Utilizing a probabilistic survey design, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency evaluated the condition of emergent depressional wetlands in the Redwood River watershed using aquatic plant and macroinvertebrate indices of biological integrity (IBI). According to EMAP protocols, sites were randomly selected from a modified National Wetland Inventory (NWI) coverage of the watershed. Approximately 150 of these sites were evaluated in order to obtain 40 suitable depressional wetlands where both plants and macroinvertebrates could be sampled. Unsuitable sites were eliminated from the study because they were either no longer a wetland, a different class of wetland, or unable to be sampled for aquatic macroinvertebrates. The evaluation of potential sites allowed the estimation of wetland losses in the watershed over a 20 year period (1980-2003) for four wetland size categories: <1, 1-5, 5-10, and >10 hectares. Cumulative distribution functions of the IBI results estimated that 593 (69%) depressional wetland basins, representing 2477 hectares (91%) of depressional wetland area, were biologically impaired in the watershed. The number of wetland basins in the Redwood watershed decreased by 56%, representing a 21% decrease in depressional wetland area, since the early 1980s. The likelihood that a wetland had been entirely drained during this period increased as size of the wetland decreased, with loss rates exceeding 60% in the <1 hectare category. The results of this wetland quality and quantity assessment indicate that depressional wetlands in this predominantly agricultural watershed have experienced a multitude of impacts that have either resulted in their elimination or degradation.
 
Remotely Monitoring Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Using a Hybrid Radar and Multi-Spectral Sensor Approach
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Laura Bourgeau-Chavez
Michigan Research and Development Center
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems
1200 Joe Hall Drive
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 480-5053
laura.chavez@gd-ais.com
New approaches have been developed for mapping Great Lakes coastal wetlands, land cover/ land use, and the invasive species Phragmites using a fusion of satellite radar imagery and traditional multi-spectral data (Landsat). Wetlands have historically been one of the most difficult ecosystems to classify using remotely sensed data. This difficulty is partially due to the high variability in wetland morphology. Our results show how Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and multi-spectral sensors complement each other in the classification of wetland ecosystems. SAR provides information on the moisture content and biomass properties of the landscape and closed canopy inundation information which complements information on cover type obtained from Landsat. The long wavelength of L-band (23 cm) SAR imagery is capable of penetrating a forest canopy and detecting inundation, while the shorter wavelength of C-band (5.7 cm) SAR is capable of penetrating herbaceous canopies to detect flooding. By merging the optical and microwave SAR data, we increase the number of land cover classes that can be discerned with minimal in situ, and create checks of one dataset against the other. Further, since SAR is sensitive to flooding beneath a canopy, SAR imagery can be used to monitor changes in extent of inundation in coastal wetlands. These new techniques have been demonstrated at test sites on Lake Michigan, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Ontario.
 
Landscape Conservation for Waterfowl and Water Quality
 
Author/Presenter:
David Brakhage
Director of Conservation Programs - Great Lakes
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
(734) 623-2000
dbrakhage@ducks.org
 
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement designated 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs) where degraded water quality conditions impaired certain beneficial uses, including degradation of fish and wildlife habitat. Remedial Action Plans have been developed to restore and maintain beneficial uses. Wetland habitat restoration efforts of Ducks Unlimited and its partners can help eliminate Beneficial Use Impairments in AOCs. Wetlands provide many ecosystem services that directly contribute to improved water quality and eventual de-listing of AOCs. The partner-based approach taken in the Saginaw Bay watershed to wetland conservation on a landscape scale has been effective in delivering results on the ground. In 1998, 2001 and again in 2005, Ducks Unlimited received, on behalf of its partners, grants totaling $2,774,750 from the North American Wetlands Conservation Council to conserve wetlands and associated habitats in the Saginaw Bay watershed. These funds were used to focus on protection and restoration of Great Lakes coastal marshes and their associated habitats along the Saginaw Bay shore, expansion of existing state and federal wildlife areas with the restoration of newly acquired lands where possible, and restoration and enhancement of of small wetlands and associated uplands on private lands throughout the watershed. Over 10,000 acres of conserved habitat is linked to this effort. This is a model that can be used in other AOCs and fits well with the objectives and restoration goals of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. This approach has worked well because it is based on a consensus vision, provides a framework for cooperation, and rewards those efforts that best advance us toward the shared vision.
 
The Carbon Balance of North American Wetlands
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Scott D. Bridgham*
Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97493-5289
(541) 346-1466
bridgham@uoregon.edu

J. Patrick Megonigal and Jason K. Keller
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28 647, Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037

Norman B. Bliss
SAIC
USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science
Sioux Falls, SD 57198

and

Carl Trettin
Center for Forested Wetland Research
USDA Forest Service
2730 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29414
 
We examine the carbon balance of North American wetlands by reviewing and synthesizing the published literature and other available soil databases. North American wetlands contain about 220 Pg C, most of which is in peat. North American wetlands are a small to moderate carbon sink of about 70 Tg C yr-1, although the error around this estimate is greater than 100%, with the largest unknown being the role of carbon sequestration by sedimentation in freshwater mineral-soil wetlands. We estimate that North American wetlands emit 26 Tg CH4 yr-1, although the error of this estimate is also greater than 100%. With the exception of estuarine wetlands, methane emissions from wetlands may largely offset any positive benefits of carbon sequestration in soils and plants. Historically, the destruction of wetlands through land-use changes has had the largest effect on the carbon fluxes and consequent radiative forcing of North American wetlands. The primary effects have been a reduction in their ability to sequester carbon (a small to moderate increase in radiative forcing), oxidation of their soil carbon reserves upon drainage (a small increase in radiative forcing), and a reduction in methane emissions (a moderate decrease in radiative forcing). Global change effects on the carbon pools and fluxes of North American wetlands is the largest future unknown. We will not be able to accurately predict the role of wetlands as potential positive or negative feedbacks to anthropogenic climate change without knowing the integrative effects of changes in temperature, precipitation, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur within the context of internal ecosystem drivers of wetlands.
 
How Much Habitat is Enough? Science Based Guidelines for Planning and Restoration
 
Author/Presenter:
Graham Bryan
Biodiversity Issues Coordinator
Canadian Wildlife Service - Ontario
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, ON, M3H 5T4
(416) 739-4918
Graham.Bryan@ec.gc.ca
 
How Much Habitat is Enough? is the recently released 2nd edition of A Framework for Rehabilitating Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. How Much Habitat is Enough? utilizes an extensive literature review to provide 18 guidelines for restoring wetland, woodland and riparian wildlife habitat. The goal is to describe the minimum habitat required to support minimum viable wildlife populations within Areas of Concern. The watershed-based guidelines include minimum 10% wetland cover in watersheds and 6% in sub-watersheds, ensuring vegetated critical function and protection zones, and strategically locating wetland rehabilitation projects. The guidelines are general and intended to be adapted to local conditions. The original Framework (1998) had been in limited release and was intended to help locate restoration projects and develop restoration plans within Areas of Concern. The Framework was used in locations such as the Severn Sound AOC to contribute to the basis for de-listing and has been used in approximately 30 Natural Heritage and Watershed Strategies. The Framework has also evolved as a conservation and protection tool, being used by municipal planners and decision makers as a rationale for habitat protection by conservation agencies. The How Much Habitat is Enough? initiative continues to provide guidance through new reports such as Area Sensitive Forest birds in Urban Areas. While the initiative has informed planning and decision making it has also emphasized the gap that exists between the science and planning and decision making.
 
Great Lakes Coastal Zone Depressional Wetlands:
Assessing Their Importance and Condition in Michigan
 
Authors/Presenter*:
Thomas M. Burton*
Michigan State University
Departments of Zoology and Fisheries and Wildlife
East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 353-4475
burtont@msu.edu

and

Donald G. Uzarski
Grand Valley State University
Annis Water Resources Institute
Muskegon, MI 49441
 
Coastal wetlands have been substantially reduced in area since pre-European settlement with losses > 50 % overall and > 90 % in some areas of the southern Great Lakes. The greatest losses have occurred for coastal zone wetlands located in depressions within one km of the shoreline and not directly connected to the lakes via surface water. Many of these wetlands were drained for agriculture and urban development over a century ago but losses continue at present. Even though they are not directly connected via surface water to the Great Lakes, the wetlands are influenced by lake levels, probably through lake level effects on the water table and ground water flow patterns. They have received less attention from the scientific and regulatory communities than have those directly connected to the lakes, even though they are often cited as important reservoirs of biodiversity. We have sampled invertebrates from more than 90 individual, depressional sites located in more than 60 separate wetland complexes over the last four years along the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan shorelines with sampling about equally divided between marshes and swamps. We will discuss attempts to use these data to develop systems of bioassesment. Even though we have identified some metrics and combined them into indices of biotic integrity, the precision of these systems remains marginal. We have also compared results from depressional, coastal zone wetlands with IBI's developed for more inland wetlands. These results along with preliminary data on bird, amphibian and reptiles suggest that the coastal zone wetlands are different enough from inland wetlands so that results from inland wetlands cannot be transferred to them without substantial verification and adjustments.


Abstracts:
Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6
, Page 7

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