Conservation Assessment & Prioritization System (CAPS)

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 http://www.umasscaps.org

Ecological Community Approach

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

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

Land cover is mapped based on several GIS data layers Roads DEP Wetlands Land Use Land Cover Map

Ecological Communities Upland Forest Shrubland Powerline Shrubland Open Land (old field) Coastal uplands Sea Cliff Vegetated Dune Coastal Dune Wetlands & aquatic Palustrine Forested wetland Shrub Swamp Bog Emergent Marsh Pond Vernal Pool Lacustrine Lake Wetlands & aquatic Riverine First order low-gradient First order high-gradient Second order low-gradient Second order high-gradient To Fifth order Coastal Wetlands & aquatic Coastal beach Tidal flat Rocky intertidal shore Salt marsh Salt pond/bay Ocean Estuarine rivers & streams First order estuary Fifth order estuary

Ecological Setting refers to the principal physical and chemical characteristics at multiple scales that strongly influence the composition, structure and function of a particular point in the landscape over the long term and serve to describe and distinguish it ecologically. Includes both local environmental conditions and landscape context Relatively static at relevant ecological time frames Ecological conditions may vary in response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances

Ecological setting is determined for each point in the landscape is defined from GIS data Degree-days Soil ph Soil ph Flow gradient Flow gradient Degree-days Ecological setting

Ecological Setting Water Depth Flow gradient Hydroperiod

Ecological Setting Fringe Buttonbush Swamps Water Depth Riverine Marshes Intermittent Streams Flow gradient Ponds Forested Wetlands Hydroperiod Vernal Pools Aquatic Bed Backwaters

Ecological Setting Variables Temperature Growing season degree-days Minimum winter temperature Solar energy Incident solar radiation Moisture Wetness/Soil moisture Hydrology Flow gradient Flow volume Tidal regime Physical Disturbance Wind exposure Wave exposure Steep slopes Chemical & physical substrate Soil ph Soil depth Soil texture Substrate mobility Water salinity Water CaCO 3 content Vegetation Vegetative structure Development Developed Traffic rate Impervious Aquatic barriers Terrestrial barriers

Calcium Carbonate

Slope

Soil Depth

Wind Exposure

Solar Radiation

Similarity Similarity Matrix Temperature Solar energy Substrate Physical disturbance Moisture Hydrology Vegetation Development Substrate Hydrology (26 Variables) Physical Disturbance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stressor metric: Hardened coastal structures

Groin Breakwater Revetment Seawall Dock-pier

CAPS Integrity Metrics Stressor 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 Impounded Percent impounded Hydrological alterations Altered stream geomorphology Stream temperature alteration Resiliency metrics Similarity Connectedness Aquatic connectedness

Stressor metric: Salt marsh ditching

Salt Marsh Ditching

Tidal Restrictions

Traffic Intensity

CAPS Integrity Metrics: Dispersion highly constrained point highly connected point

Connectedness

Aquatic Connectedness

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

Identifying Areas of Statewide and Regional Significance for Ecological Integrity Statewide Ecoregions Watersheds

Statewide Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI)

Index of Ecological Integrity Scaled by Watershed (IEI-I)

Index of Ecological Integrity Rescaled by Ecoregion (IEI-E)

Gradient Rescaled Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI-G)

Integrated Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI-I)

Forested Wetland Communities http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/technology/it/gr4/images/worm.jpg http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/interesting/lichens/images/lobaria_pulmonaria_dry_lg.jpg http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/caddisfly/caddisfly.jpg

Level 3 Assessment Condition Indicators Plants Bryophytes Epiphytic Macrolichens Algae Macroinvertebrates Confounding Variables Soils Hydrology Microtypography ph Conductance

Salt Marsh Sampling Vegetation transects Microtopography Macroinvertebrates Salinity

35 30 Invasive Plants in Forested Wetlands N=64 Logistic Regression Ρ= 0.0011 ρ 2 = 0.12 Total Percent Cover of Invasive Plants 25 20 15 10 5 Acer platanoides Berberis thunbergii Celastrus orbiculatus Euonymus alata Frangula alnus Iris pseudacorus Lonicera morrowii Myosotis scorpioides Phalaris arundinacea Ranunculus repens Rhamnus cathartica Rosa multiflora 0-5 0.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 1 1.1 IEI

Lumbricus terrestris Upland Forests Deerfield Watershed Number of Middens per Plot 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0-1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 IEI n = 96 Logistic Regression P = 0.0003, ρ 2 =.10

CAPS Road Salt Metric vs. Specific Conductance in Forested Wetlands

Wetland IEI High Low

Low IEI Wetlands High Low

Road Salt High Low

Edge Predators High Low

Wetland Buffer Insults High Low

Traffic Intensity High Low

Connectedness High Low

Application of UMass CAPS Intact Landscape Blocks for BioMap2

South Coast Rail Project Taunton River watershed Northeast Main Line (5 km buffer) New Bedford corridor (5 km buffer) Alternatives (5 km buffer)

Baseline IEI South Coast Rail Project

Attleboro

Stoughton, at grade

Stoughton, with trestle

Stoughton-Whittenton, at grade

Stoughton-Whittenton, with trestle

Assessment of South Coast Rail scenarios in terms of acres and by percentage of worst-case scenario. Scenario Loss of IEI Units Full Extent Percent Loss Full Extent Loss of IEI Units Excluding Common Route Sections Percent Loss Excluding Common Route Sections Base 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Attleboro 379.3 77.1 206.8 64.7 Stoughton with trestle 474.5 96.4 302.0 94.5 Stoughton-Whittenton with trestl 481.8 97.9 309.3 96.8 Stoughton at grade 484.6 98.5 312.1 97.7 Stoughton-Whittenton at grade 492.0 100.0 319.5 100.0

Connectedness delta Assonet Swamp, All Scenarios

Connectedness delta Hockamock Swamp, Stoughton at grade

Connectedness delta Hockamock Swamp, Stoughton with trestle

Connectedness delta Pine Swamp, Stoughton Scenarios

Connectedness delta Attleboro Bypass Focal Area, Attleboro Scenario

Culvert Increase in Connectedness Percent of Best 3 1301.12 100 2 813.41 62.5 4 194.60 15.0 6 141.15 10.8 5 117.24 9.0 1 65.25 5.0

Critical Linkages Phase I Landscape Ecology Program Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Before cell 1

After cell 1

Before cell 2

After cell 2

Before cell 3

After cell 3

Before all cells

After all cells

Delta all cells

Delta IEI all cells

Connectedness for Roads

Results: Linkages/dams

Results: Linkages/dams

Results: Linkages/crossings

Results: Linkages/crossings

Sources of Error Unmapped dams Lack of information on the passability of dams (e.g. fish passage structures) Phantom road stream crossings Lack of information about passability for most roadstream crossings Analysis of single structure (dam, culvert) restoration scenarios can mask benefits of restoration potential for multi structure projects

Wetland Replacement Area Upgraded Culvert New Crossing New Road

Funding and Other Support Provided by: The Nature Conservancy Federal Highway Administration MA Department of Transportation MA Department of Environmental Protection MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program MA Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs US Environmental Protection Agency The Trustees of Reservations Massachusetts Audubon Society http://www.umasscaps.org USDA s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is our federal partner, providing federal assistance and program leadership for numerous research, education, and extension activities.