Development of a landscape-scale wetland condition assessment tool for Idaho

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Abstract:

Watershed-scale land uses and human activities affect the integrity and condition of wetlands across the landscape. The intensity of development, proportion of human land use, and environmental setting interact to determine wetland condition at finer spatial scales. Based on these premises, the authors used GIS to develop a landscape-scale model to predict wetland condition. The initial model focused on northern Idaho and southwestern Idaho. These regions both have extensive wetland impacts due to development and hydrologic alteration, but contrast greatly in environmental settings. The model was developed using existing spatial layers of stressors known to directly and indirectly affect wetland condition. These include land use (e.g., urban, agriculture, forestry, livestock grazing, etc.), development (e.g., density of population, roads, railroads, utilities, mining, industrial sites, dairies, recreation sites, etc.), and hydrologic alteration (e.g., density of canals, wells, reservoirs, etc.). The authors utilized an existing GIS tool, Analytical Tools Interface for Landscape Assessments, and conducted other spatial analysis to calculate stressor metrics for both subwatersheds (6th level hydrologic unit) and individual wetlands mapped by the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). Stressor metrics were then correlated with wetland condition determined from field data. Field rapid assessments of condition were conducted at randomly selected NWI wetlands (samples stratified by subbasin and Cowardin class). Existing data from wetland, riparian, and water quality monitoring were also used. Correlation and analysis of variance methods were used to determine which stressors best predicted wetland condition. The model created represents a prototype that will be refined as additional data and analysis are incorporated. The calculated metrics of landscape condition represent a relative baseline for the study area. With modification, this model will eventually be incorporated into a tool that can be used by land managers and planners to conduct GIS-based condition assessments of specific wetland sites across their landscape of interest. This type of landscape-scale wetland assessment can be applied to meet a variety of conservation, monitoring, and restoration planning needs.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Multiple Species; ELECTRONIC FILE - Ecology

Note that this report is accompanied by 7 appendices (one including maps) and photos.

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation (revised):
Murphy C, Schmidt A. 2010. Development of a landscape-scale wetland condition assessment tool for Idaho. Boise (ID): Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Information Systems Bureaus. Wetland Program Development Grant. Report prepared for US Environmental Protection Agency. Wetland Program Development Grant No.: CD–96052801-0

File(s): 

U10MUR02IDUS.pdf