SFS Annual Meeting

5/21/2019  |   14:00 - 14:15   |  150 DEF

LONG-TERM MONITORING AND RESEARCH ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER SYSTEM: HOW DOES IT INFORM RIVER RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT? The Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program has been constructing habitat rehabilitation projects and conducting long term research and monitoring on the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) since the late 1980s. The Long Term Resource Monitoring element (LTRM) of this program strives to detect and understand important changes in the river, and inform its restoration and management. Several recent projects have integrated science, restoration, and management expertise. We recently completed an assessment of the spatial gradients in the condition of the UMRS based on systemic landcover and bathymetry data sets, and river managers and restoration specialists used the results to inform a systemic Habitat Needs Assessment. We are conducting an ecological resilience assessment of UMRS to better understand the aspects of the system that contribute to its ecological resilience and the implications for its restoration and management. We have adopted an approach to developing and prioritizing research projects within the program that capitalizes on the diverse knowledge contained within the broad partnership of the UMRR Program (five states and several federal agencies) and emphasizes the connections between our research efforts and restoration and management information needs

Jeffrey Houser (Primary Presenter/Author), USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, jhouser@usgs.gov;


Kristen Bouska (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, kbouska@usgs.gov;


Nathan De Jager (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI 54603, ndejager@usgs.gov;


Brian Ickes (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, bickes@usgs.gov;


KathiJo Jankowski (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, kjankowski@usgs.gov ;


James Rogala (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, jrogala@usgs.gov;


Jason Rohweder (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, jrohweder@usgs.gov;


Molly Van Appledorn (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, mvanappledorn@usgs.gov;


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5/21/2019  |   14:15 - 14:30   |  150 DEF

SCALE AND STREAM RESTORATIONS: DAM AND CHANNEL RESTORATION PROJECTS Increasingly, bioassessments are being used to assess stream restoration outcomes by measuring the resulting changes in biotic assemblage structure or function. We conducted a literature review of stream restorations that had bioassessments worldwide, particularly in North America, Europe, and Australia. Here, we summarize the results of two restoration types: dam removal or operation changes (21 studies) and channel restoration (26 studies). In some cases, untreated stressors influenced the restoration outcomes. In other cases, there were mismatches in the temporal or spatial scale of the restoration. For example, biomonitoring to measure restoration effects was conducted too soon after the restoration to observe effects, or the sources and stressors needing remediation occurred at a larger spatial scale than that of the restoration. In general, dam projects often improved biotic measurements, but this was not so for channel restorations. As individual dams are a relatively discrete stressor source. dam removal appears to match the spatial scale of the associated stressors, but the spatial scales were less consistent for channel restoration. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Michael Griffith (Primary Presenter/Author), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Cincinnati, OH 45268, griffith.michael@epa.gov;


Michael McManus (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, mcmanus.michael@epa.gov;


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5/21/2019  |   14:30 - 14:45   |  150 DEF

RIPARIAN AND GROUNDWATER-DEPENDENT ECOSYSTEMS OF THE USDA FOREST SERVICE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION: ASSESSMENT OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND CURRENT CONDITIONS We are completing a series of assessments of riparian and groundwater-dependent ecosystems to provide information to National Forests in the USDA Forest Service Intermountain Region (R4) as they undergo Forest Plan Revision. Our methods are designed to meet requirements of the 2012 Planning Rule to complete a rapid assessment of ecological integrity that uses existing data and information to evaluate drivers, stressors, structure, function, composition, and connectivity of these systems. We have determined there is wide variation in the condition of riparian and groundwater-dependent ecosystems, which is likely a result of physical setting, different management histories, and interactions between disturbances. Stressors, including livestock and wild ungulate grazing, altered streamflow and fire regimes, road construction, timber harvest, invasive and encroaching species, vegetation mortality, and climate change have influenced most riparian and groundwater-dependent ecosystems, however some geographical units appear to be more resistant or resilient. Our reports are produced on a schedule consistent with R4’s planning process and directly inform the assessment phase of plan revision. They will be useful for future planning and to inform restoration and maintenance of riparian and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

Katelyn Driscoll (Primary Presenter/Author), US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, katelyndriscoll@fs.fed.us;


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5/21/2019  |   15:00 - 15:15   |  150 DEF

PRIORITIZATION OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS FOR A THREATENED TROUT USING MULTIPLE POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS Managers of at-risk species frequently need to prioritize actions based on questions such as “Which populations are most at-risk of extirpation?”, “Which would benefit most from management?” or “Where could we reintroduce viable populations?”, but limitations of traditional modeling approaches often hamper empirical guidance — especially for species comprising many isolated populations across broad geographies. The federally-listed Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) is one such species, for which there has been little quantitative foundation to guide range-wide management and recovery. We employed a recently-developed Multiple Population Viability Analysis model (MPVA), customized for LCT using all count data from backpack electrofishing surveys (1985-2015) and a suite of environmental and biological covariates, to address priority questions identified with management partners. Across 211 streams where LCT populations currently exist or may be reintroduced, we: 1) ranked extinction risk for current populations range-wide, 2) quantified the benefit of removing non-native trout and 3) estimated viability for LCT reintroduced to unoccupied waters using different protocols. Due to effective collaboration among academic, non-profit, state and federal entities, and development of a decision support tool, data-driven results are being incorporated directly into LCT management prioritization and recovery planning.

Helen Neville (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Trout Unlimited, hneville@tu.org;


Doug Leasure (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, doug.leasure@gmail.com;


Daniel Dauwalter (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Trout Unlimited, ddauwalter@tu.org;


Jason Dunham (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U. S. Geological Survey, jdunham@usgs.gov;


Mary Peacock (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Nevada Reno, mpeacock@unr.edu;


Kurt Fesenmyer (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Trout Unlimited, Boise, ID, KFesenmyer@tu.org;


Robin Bjork (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Trout Unlimited, rdbjork@hotmail.com;


Nathan Chelgren (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USGS, nchelgren@usgs.gov;


Charlie Luce (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, cluce@fs.fed.us;


Daniel Isaak (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Research and Development, United States Forest Service, Boise, Idaho 83702, disaak@fs.fed.us;


Lee Annn CarranzA (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lee_carranza@fws.gov;


Jon Sjoberg (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Nevada Department of Wildlife, sjoberg@ndow.org;


Seth Wenger (Primary Presenter/Author,Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, swenger@uga.edu;


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5/21/2019  |   15:15 - 15:30   |  150 DEF

THE INTERPLAY OF FLOW PROCESSES SHAPES AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY ALONG TEMPORAL SUCCESSIONS IN FLOODPLAIN CHANNELS - A MODELLING APPROACH The high biotic diversity supported by floodplains is ruled by the interplay of geomorphic and hydrological processes at various time scales, from daily fluctuations to centennial successions. Because understanding such processes is a key question in river restoration, we attempted to model changes in taxonomic richness (TR) and functional diversity (FD, measured as Rao's quadratic entropy incorporating 9 biological traits) in an assemblage of 115 macroinvertebrate taxa along two successional sequences typical for braided channels. Individual models relating the occurrence of taxa to overflow and backflow durations were developed from field measurements in 19 floodplain channels of the Rhone floodplain (France) monitored over 10 years. The models were combined to simulate diversity changes i) along a progressive siltation and disconnection sequence (250 yrs), ii) along a disconnection sequence interrupted by scouring and downstream reconnection (150 yrs). The former led to a 35% reduction in TR and weak fluctuations in FD. The latter led to increase in both TR (x2) and FD (x1.3). Comparing the model outputs with field data, we show our models can reliably predict dynamic patterns of diversity across successional time and inform floodplain conservation and management.

Marle Pierre (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Geneva, p.marle2225@hotmail.fr;


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