Detecting Ecosystem Stress and Declining Integrity: Indicators and Benchmarks

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Detecting Ecosystem Stress and Declining
Integrity Indicators and Benchmarks
NR 205 Ecosystem Management
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What do we measure to tell us if we have a
healthy ecosystem?

• Indicator a characteristic of the environment
  that, when measured, quantifies the magnitude of
  stress, habitat characteristics, degree of
  exposure to the stressor, or the degree of
  ecological response to the exposure (US EPA)

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Ecosystem Indicators

• An ecosystem indicator can be any measure that
  provides information about the quality or
  condition of the ecosystem or the effectiveness
  of management.
• Because all ecosystem components and processes
  cannot be measured and evaluated, ecological
  indicators are used to determine ecosystem
  condition with a reduced set of measurements that
  can represent or indicate the overall state of
  the system.
• (Watzin, Smyth, Cassell, Manning, Hession, and
  Wang )

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Ecological Integrity have to specific about
what integrity means and how it is measured

• ICBEMP (1996)
• Integrity defined as a mosaic of plant and
  animal communities consisting of well-connected,
  high-quality habitats that support a diverse
  assemblage of native and desired non-native
  species, the expression of potential life
  histories and taxonomic linkages, and the
  taxonomic and genetic diversity necessary for
  long-term persistence and adaptation in a
  variable environment. Generally, conditions
  before Euro-American settlement (pre-1800s)
  provide the standard for evaluating the presence
  and functioning of ecological components and
  processes.

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Indicator Characteristics

• Ecologically relevant
• Politically/socially relevant
• Measurable
• Statistically Sound
• Interpretable
• Cost-effective

• Nondestructive
• Historical data available
• Anticipatory
• Appropriate scale
• Not redundant of other indicators

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PRESSURE STATE RESPONSE FRAMEWORK
Human activities exert PRESSURES on the ecosystem
The STATE of the ecosystem is impacted
Management RESPONSE seeks to reduce negative
impacts on the ecosystem
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Little Moose Lake Trib. 1 Full Stand
Visualization
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Adirondack Park Land-Use
Land use in the park
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Management Issue Ecological Indicator Meets which indicator criteria? How does the indicator meet these criteria? Which part of the pressure-state-response framework?
Development pressures on private lands inside the park 1.
Development pressures on private lands inside the park 2.
Competing recreational demands motorized vs. non-motorized 1.
Competing recreational demands motorized vs. non-motorized 2.
Acid Deposition 1.
Acid Deposition 2.