Effects of Adjacent Land Use on Ecological Integrity for Lakes and Wetlands. Scott Jackson Dept. of Environmental Conservation

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1 Effects of Adjacent Land Use on Ecological Integrity for Lakes and Wetlands Scott Jackson Dept. of Environmental Conservation

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5 Freshwater Wetland-Dependent Wildlife with Upland Requirements (MA) Wetland- Dependent Species Species with Upland Requirements % Wetland- Dependent with Upland Requirements Amphibians % Reptiles % Mammals % Birds % TOTAL % Boyd, 2001: Report available at:

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10 N W S E Male #306 Home Range Scale 1:12, Locations Movements 50% Kernel 95% Kernel Locations Movements 50% Kernel 95% Kernel Kilometers

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12 Species Richness vs. Forest Clearing Findlay & Houlahan, 1997

13 Species Richness vs. Road Density Findlay & Houlahan, 1997

14 Findlay and Houlahan, 1997 Findlay and Bourdages, 2000

15 Conservation Assessment & Prioritization System (CAPS) Assessing ecological integrity and supporting decision-making for land conservation, habitat management, project review & permitting to protect biodiversity Landscape Ecology Lab

16 Ecological Community Approach

17 Ecological Integrity the long-term capability of the ecological community to sustain its composition, structure and function and thus also its resiliency to stress

18 The CAPS Analysis Land cover map Integrity metrics GIS data Index of Ecological Integrity

19 Several landscape metrics are calculated based on the land cover map and other data Flow gradient Elevation Similarity Connectedness Land cover map Habitat loss Microclimatic alterations

20 CAPS Integrity Metrics: Road Traffic Low traffic effects High traffic effects

21 CAPS Integrity Metrics: Road Traffic Low traffic effects High traffic effects

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23 weight Weighting metrics very bad not so bad A B C D E weight for each class

24 weight weight Weighting metrics very bad not so bad inflection point A B C D E distance weight for each class weight by distance

25 weight weight weight Weighting metrics very bad not so bad inflection point = A B C D E distance distance weight for each class weight by distance final weights

26 CAPS Integrity Metrics: Watershed metrics Full watershed above a point Metrics weighted by a time-of-flow model

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29 Wetland IEI High Low

30 Road Salt High Low

31 Edge Predators High Low

32 Traffic Intensity High Low

33 Connectedness High Low

34 Stressor metrics CAPS Integrity Metrics Road Traffic Habitat loss Microclimatic alterations Mowing & plowing intensity Domestic predators Edge predators Non-native invasive plants Non-native invasive earthworms Wetland buffer insults Tidal restrictions Salt marsh ditching Coastal structures Beach pedestrian traffic Beach ORVs Boat traffic intensity Emissions intensity Watershed-based stressor metrics Road salt Road sediment Nutrient enrichment Dam intensity Watershed habitat loss Imperviousness Hydrological alterations Impounded Percent impounded Altered stream geomorphology Stream temperature alteration Resiliency metrics Similarity Connectedness Aquatic connectedness

35 Metrics are combined into an index of ecological integrity Similarity Connectedness Habitat loss Microclimate alterations Index of Ecological Integrity

36 Statewide Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI)

37 Tiered Aquatic Life Use (TALU)

38 Biological Condition High Low Low High Generalized Stressor Gradient (1/IEI) Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI) High Low

39 Level 3: Site Level Assessment Methods (SLAM) Forested Wetland Salt Marsh

40 The IBIs Multiple taxonomic groups Forested wetlands: IEI-IBI #taxa Vascular plants 13 Macroinvertebrates 9 Diatoms 14 Bryophytes 11 Epiphytic macrolichens 4

41 35 30 Invasive Plants in Forested Wetlands N=64 Logistic Regression Ρ= ρ 2 = 0.12 Total Percent Cover of Invasive Plants Acer platanoides Berberis thunbergii Celastrus orbiculatus Euonymus alata Frangula alnus Iris pseudacorus Lonicera morrowii Myosotis scorpioides Phalaris arundinacea Ranunculus repens Rhamnus cathartica Rosa multiflora IEI

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