Habitat Assessment Modeling: Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment

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Habitat Assessment Modeling Ecosystem Diagnosis
and Treatment
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Environment and Habitat

• Environment broad description of conditions at a
  location
• Not species specific
• Sets the metrics
• Defines appropriate scale, hierarchy, extent and
  grain
• Habitat species specific description of
  conditions at a location
• Species specific subset of environment
• Relates to biological performance of focal species

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Habitat Rehabilitation Process
--Hydrology --Sediment mechanics --Channel
dynamics --Riparian function
--Appropriate scale and hierarchy --Metrics --Exte
nt --Grain
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Assessment Species-focused rating of habitat

• How much habitat is there?
• Quantity Biological capacity
• How good is it?
• Quality Productivity
• Connectivity Life history trajectories
• Breadth Trajectory diversity

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Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT)

• EDT rates the quality and quantity of habitat
  with respect to one or more focal species.
• EDT identifies restoration and protection
  priorities and limiting conditions
• Where do we start?
• What needs to be fixed?
• EDT is NOT a dynamic population dynamics model.
• It rates a static depiction of habitat
  conditions.
• EDT does NOT PROVE ANYTHING.
• It creates a testable working hypothesis as a
  basis for action.

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Habitat and population models essential tools
for recovery planning
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Assessment provides restoration and protection
priorities
Protection
Restoration
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EDT prioritizes habitat based on biological
performance
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Habitat Assessment ProcessI. Prepare EDT Input
Table
Snap-shot of conditions
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Habitat Assessment ProcessII. Rate the Habitat
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Habitat Assessment ProcessIII. Rate the
Watershed
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Validation of a habitat assessment model

• Does the biological rating metric comport with
  reality?
• Does it accurately predict distribution of the
  rating species?
• It it useful?

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Validation of EDT for Spring Chinook in the
Yakima River. 1981-94 broods.
Validation of EDT for Spring Chinook in the
Yakima River. 1981-94 broods.
Source Bruce Watson, YIN
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Case Study Johnson Creek, Portland, OR
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Johnson Study Area Map
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EDT Population Estimates
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Priorities
Combined priorities for rehabilitation of Johnson
Creek habitat for coho salmon
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Reach 15 Attributes
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Example of how EDT can relate to watershed actions
Modified from Roni et al. (2002) A review of
stream restoration techniques and a hierarchical
strategy for prioritizing restoration in Pacific
Northwest Watersheds. N.Am.J.Fish. Mgmt.221-20