A Synthesis of Environmental and Plant Community Data for Tidal Wetland Restoration Planning in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Cullinan, Valerie I.

doi:10.2172/1136241

Cited by 3 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…, Diefenderfer et al. ). LCRE‐wide, system zonation is a function of topography, salinity intrusion, the balance of tidal and fluvial forces, and vegetation (Borde et al.…”

Section: Results Of Seven Lines Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The three historically diked and reconnected sites studied have transitioned to emergent marshes with inundation patterns conducive to fish access (i.e., the main channel of each site was inundated to a minimum depth of 50 cm at the mouth >95% of hours in a year) and have little resemblance to the diked pastures of today's landscape, though below‐ground properties have not been examined (Diefenderfer et al. ).…”

Section: Results Of Seven Lines Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…), this suite of reference sites is being used to increase understanding of the range of natural conditions in the LCRE, and develop quantitative bounds of the characteristics that restoration sites may in time develop (Diefenderfer et al. ). This is consistent with the concept of a “composite description” of reference condition recommended by the Society for Ecological Restoration International (SERI ) or a “reference model” (Clewell and Aronson ) used to avoid undue influence by stochastic events in the development of any particular site.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of known differences in plant communities above rkm 136 (Diefenderfer et al. ), we could not extrapolate the results of this analysis of primary and secondary productivity to the region without data between rkm 137 and rkm 234.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is expected because historical land subsidence behind dikes strongly affects water depth upon reconnection, and so the reestablishment of wetland plant community structure and dynamics depends first on sedimentary accretion processes (Thom ), though an alternative stable state governed by reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinaceae ) may develop in the freshwater wetlands (Diefenderfer et al. ). The plausibility of the export function of tidal wetlands for the salmon food web identified in the conceptual model was satisfied by the CNEI model of aboveground herbaceous biomass (Tables and ) and the particulate organic matter model of transport from floodplain restoration sites to other restoration sites and the mainstem river (Thom et al.…”

Section: Causal Criteria Synthesis and Cumulative Effects Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence‐based evaluation of the cumulative effects of ecosystem restoration

et al. 2016

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Abstract. This study adapts and applies the evidence-based approach for causal inference, a medical standard, to the restoration and sustainable management of large-scale aquatic ecosystems. Despite long-term investments in restoring aquatic ecosystems, it has proven difficult to adequately synthesize and evaluate program outcomes, and no standard method has been adopted. Complex linkages between restorative actions and ecosystem responses at a landscape scale make evaluations problematic and most programs focus on monitoring and analysis. Herein, we demonstrate a new transdisciplinary approach integrating techniques from evidence-based medicine, critical thinking, and cumulative effects assessment. Tiered hypotheses about the effects of landscape-scale restorative actions are identified using an ecosystem conceptual model. The systematic literature review, a health sciences standard since the 1960s, becomes just one of seven lines of evidence assessed collectively, using critical thinking strategies, causal criteria, and cumulative effects categories. As a demonstration, we analyzed data from 166 locations on the Columbia River and estuary representing 12 indicators of habitat and fish response to floodplain restoration actions intended to benefit culturally and economically important, threatened and endangered salmon. Synthesis of the lines of evidence demonstrated that hydrologic reconnection promoted macrodetritis export, prey availability, and juvenile fish access and feeding. Upon evaluation, the evidence was sufficient to infer cross-boundary, indirect, compounding, and delayed cumulative effects, and suggestive of nonlinear, landscape-scale, and spatial density effects. Therefore, on the basis of causal inferences regarding foodweb functions, we concluded that the restoration program is having a cumulative beneficial effect on juvenile salmon. The lines of evidence developed are transferable to other ecosystems: modeling of cumulative net ecosystem improvement, physical modeling of ecosystem controlling factors, meta-analysis of restoration action effectiveness, analysis of data on target species, research on critical ecological uncertainties, evidence-based review of the literature, and change analysis on the landscape setting. As with medicine, the science of ecological restoration needs scientific approaches to management decisions, particularly because the consequences affect species extinctions and the availability of ecosystem services. This evidencebased approach will enable restoration in complex coastal, riverine, and tidal-fluvial ecosystems like the lower Columbia River to be evaluated when data have accumulated without sufficient synthesis.

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“…, Diefenderfer et al. ). LCRE‐wide, system zonation is a function of topography, salinity intrusion, the balance of tidal and fluvial forces, and vegetation (Borde et al.…”

Section: Results Of Seven Lines Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Results Of Seven Lines Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Causal Criteria Synthesis and Cumulative Effects Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence‐based evaluation of the cumulative effects of ecosystem restoration

et al. 2016

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An Evidence-Based Evaluation of the Cumulative Effects of Tidal Freshwater and Estuarine Ecosystem Restoration on Endangered Juvenile Salmon in the Columbia River: Final Report

Diefenderfer¹,

Johnson²,

Thom³

et al. 2013

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The listing of 13 salmon and steelhead stocks in the Columbia River basin (hereafter collectively referred to as "salmon") under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, has stimulated tidal wetland restoration in the lower 235 kilometers of the Columbia River and estuary for juvenile salmonhabitat functions. The purpose of the research reported herein was to evaluate the effect on listed salmon of the restoration effort currently being conducted under the auspices of the federal Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP). Linking changes in the quality and landscape pattern of tidal wetlands in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) to salmon recovery is a complex problem because of the characteristics of the ecosystem, the salmon, the restoration actions, and available sampling technologies. Therefore, we designed an evidence-based approach to develop, synthesize, and evaluate information to determine early-stage (~10 years) outcomes of the CEERP.

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