Comparing disturbance gradients and bird-based indices of biotic integrity for ranking the ecological integrity of Great Lakes coastal wetlands

Chin, Andrew T.M.; Tozer, Douglas C.; Walton, Nicholas G.; Fraser, Gail S.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.010

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Coastal wetland ecosystems follow distinct distributions corresponding to environmental gradients (Bantilan-Smith et al 2009;Chin et al 2015). It is critical to establish stable vegetation patterns to lessen the negative impacts of human and natural factors on biodiversity conservation in coastal wetlands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of the spatiotemporal correlation between vegetation pattern and human activity intensity in Yancheng coastal wetland, China

Zang

Zou

Song

et al. 2019

Anthropocene Coasts

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Remote sensing images were used to reproduce the changes in wetland vegetation since 1987, and the potential impact of policy changes and human activities on vegetation restoration and biodiversity conservation in coastal wetlands was explored based on the landscape pattern index and the human disturbance index (HDI). The results showed that the vegetation displayed a zonal distribution pattern in which, perpendicular to the coastline early in the study period, the vegetation type changed from coastal wetland to bare mud flat with Spartina alterniflora, Suaeda glauca, and Phragmites australis as well as to constructed wetlands dominated by rice. Under the influence of human activities, the number of patches (NP) and mean nearest-neighbor distance (MNN) between patches gradually increased during the study period, while the mean patch size gradually decreased. The patch density increased from 179 (1987) to 296 patches per ha (2013). Additionally, human activity in the study area intensified. The HDI increased from 0.353 (1987) to 0.471 (1987) and showed positive correlations (R2 > 80%, p < 0.01) with NP and MNN. Human activity, such as changes in land use, resulted in more fragmented vegetation patterns, and the nonzonal (intrazonal) distribution of the vegetation became more obvious in coastal wetlands.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of the spatiotemporal correlation between vegetation pattern and human activity intensity in Yancheng coastal wetland, China

Zang

Zou

Song

et al. 2019

Anthropocene Coasts

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“…This method typically uses presence/absence or abundances of individual species (e.g., Gnass Giese et al 2015), but also can incorporate multi-species abundances or species richness variables as long as they are specifically linked with a stressor of interest. Smith-Cartwright and Chow-Fraser (2011) and Chin et al (2015) suggested that the disturbance gradient and indicator approach of Howe et al (2007a, b) is superior to that of EC and CLOCA (2004), Crewe and Timmermans (2005), and to that of DeLuca et al (2004) for assessing ecological integrity of Great Lakes coastal wetlands using bird assemblages. Our recent work also suggested that this may extend to anurans.…”

Section: Anuran-and Bird-based Indicatormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach relied on inferring that measurable biotic community attributes are responses to varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Since the 1980s, numerous organism-based indicators have been developed or evaluated for several Great Lakes ecosystem types, including coastal wetlands (Burton et al 1999;Herman et al 2001;Simon et al 2001;Wilcox et al 2002;Lougheed and Chow-Fraser 2002;Uzarski et al 2004Uzarski et al , 2005Uzarski et al , 2014Chow-Fraser 2006;Seilheimer and Chow-Fraser 2006;Albert et al 2007;Croft and Chow-Fraser 2007;Howe et al 2007a, b;Niemi et al 2007;Martínez-Crego et al 2010;Grabas et al 2012;Calabro et al 2013;Chin et al 2015). These indicators have been calibrated against both water chemistry attributes and anthropogenic land-use gradients to relate specific biological community characteristics to anthropogenic disturbances across the Great Lakes basin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Standardized Measures of Coastal Wetland Condition: Implementation at a Laurentian Great Lakes Basin-Wide Scale

et al. 2016

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Since European settlement, over 50 % of coastal wetlands have been lost in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, causing growing concern and increased monitoring by government agencies. For over a decade, monitoring efforts have focused on the development of regional and organism-specific measures. To facilitate collaboration and information sharing between public, private, and government agencies throughout the Great Lakes basin, we developed standardized methods and indicators used for assessing wetland condition. Using an ecosystem approach and a stratified random site selection process, birds, anurans, fish, macroinvertebrates, vegetation, and physico-chemical conditions were sampled in coastal wetlands of all five Great Lakes including sites from the United States and Canada. Our primary objective was to implement a standardized basin-wide coastal wetland monitoring program that would be a powerful tool to inform decision-makers on coastal wetland conservation and restoration priorities throughout the Great Lakes basin.

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“…Quantitative indicators have been developed from previous data gathered, as well as from this study. A number of approaches have been used and compared, including an Index of Biotic Integrity ( Crewe and Timmermans 2005 ; GLCWC 2008 ) and a probability-based Indicator of Ecological Condition ( Howe et al 2007 ; Chin et al 2015 ). Both methods are compatible with the field data-collection methods described above.…”

Section: Sampling Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging a Landscape-Level Monitoring and Assessment Program for Developing Resilient Shorelines throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes

et al. 2019

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Traditionally, ecosystem monitoring, conservation, and restoration have been conducted in a piecemeal manner at the local scale without regional landscape context. However, scientifically driven conservation and restoration decisions benefit greatly when they are based on regionally determined benchmarks and goals. Unfortunately, required data sets rarely exist for regionally important ecosystems. Because of early recognition of the extreme ecological importance of Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands, and the extensive degradation that had already occurred, significant investments in coastal wetland research, protection, and restoration have been made in recent decades and continue today. Continued and refined assessment of wetland condition and trends, and the evaluation of restoration practices are all essential to ensuring the success of these investments. To provide wetland managers and decision makers throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes basin with the optimal tools and data needed to make scientifically-based decisions, our regional team of Great Lakes wetland scientists developed standardized methods and indicators used for assessing wetland condition. From a landscape perspective, at the Laurentian Great Lakes ecosystem scale, we established a stratified random-site-selection process to monitor birds, anurans, fish, macroinvertebrates, vegetation, and physicochemical conditions of coastal wetlands in the US and Canada. Monitoring of approximately 200 wetlands per year began in 2011 as the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program. In this paper, we describe the development, delivery, and expected results of this ongoing international, multidisciplinary , multi-stakeholder, landscape-scale monitoring program as a case example of successful application of landscape conservation design.

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Comparing disturbance gradients and bird-based indices of biotic integrity for ranking the ecological integrity of Great Lakes coastal wetlands

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Analysis of the spatiotemporal correlation between vegetation pattern and human activity intensity in Yancheng coastal wetland, China

Analysis of the spatiotemporal correlation between vegetation pattern and human activity intensity in Yancheng coastal wetland, China

Standardized Measures of Coastal Wetland Condition: Implementation at a Laurentian Great Lakes Basin-Wide Scale

Leveraging a Landscape-Level Monitoring and Assessment Program for Developing Resilient Shorelines throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes

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