Monitoring desired ecological conditions on Washington State wildlife areas using an ecological integrity assessment framework

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The Ecological Integrity Assessment method (EIA) aims to measure the current ecological integrity of a site through a standardized and repeatable assessment of current ecological conditions associated with the structure, composition, and ecological processes of a particular ecological system. These conditions are then compared to those associated with sites operating within the bounds of their natural range of variation. Ratings or scores for individual metrics and overall ecological integrity are presented in a clear and transparent scorecard matrix. The purpose of assigning an index of ecological integrity is to provide a succinct assessment of the current status of the composition, structure, and function of occurrences of a particular ecosystem type and to give a general sense of conservation value, management effects, restoration success, etc. As such, the EIA can be used to address a number of objectives, including to assess ecological integrity on a fixed, objective scale; compare ecological integrity of various occurrences of the same ecological systems; determine the best examples and support selection of sites for conservation priority; inform decisions on monitoring individual ecological attributes of a particular occurrences; and provide an aggregated index of integrity to interpret monitoring data, including tracking the status of ecological integrity over time. This report 1) describes the EIA method, 2) provides an overview of how the EIA could be used within the context of a multi-scaled monitoring program, 3) presents initial EIA models for a selection of the Ecological Systems which occur on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lands, and 4) provides guidance on measurement protocols for individual metrics.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology, ELECTRONIC FILE - Ecology

Report Prepared for: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA

Note that the title on the cover page is not exactly the same as that on the title page; in this particular case, using the one on the title page has been the tradition.

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Rocchio FJ, Crawford RC. 2009. Monitoring desired ecological conditions on Washington State Wildlife Areas using an ecological integrity assessment framework. Olympia (WA): Washington Natural Heritage Program. Report prepared for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia. Natural Heritage Report 2009-13.