Post on 20-Dec-2015
transcript
Chicago Wilderness: An Ecosystem
Management Plan
Katy Berlin
Shelly Charron
Lisa DuRussel
NRE 317
April 11, 2001
Introduction
• 200,000 acres preserved• Covers southeastern Wisconsin, 6
counties in the Chicago region, and northwestern Indiana
• Ecosystems include woodlands, forest, prairie, streams, and wetlands
• 124 public and private organizations involved
Protected Land in the Chicago Wilderness Region
Why Is Ecological Management of the Chicago Region Important?
• High concentration of globally significant natural communities– Contains almost 200 endangered or
threatened species – Contains rare tallgrass prairies and
open oak woodlands
Major Threats to the Chicago Area
• Habitat fragmentation and loss
• Exotic species
• Fire suppression
Goals of the Plan
• To restore natural communities
• Promote sustainable development
• Increase citizen involvement
• Prevent the ongoing loss of critical habitat
Ecological Management, Research, and Monitoring Plan Objectives
• Continuing research and monitoring is important to improve management techniques
• Ongoing adaptive management is essential for all of the natural communities
• Ecological management of the region’s natural communities must increase substantially
• Management plans developed for each site using management practices adapted to site conditions and appropriate to the goals of the site
• Inform the public of what can be expected, and where possible, use practices that include both short term and long term results
Land Management Practices
• Prescribed burning• Restoration and management
of hydrology• Re-establishment of native
species• Control of invasive plant
species• Management of problem
wildlife• Management plans
Examples of the Plan in Action
• Private business owners agree to landscape with native plants
• During bird migration periods, most downtown businesses turn their lights off
• Public highway authorities control salt use and retain storm water
• Large and small scale burning of public lands to control invasive plant species
Key Players in the Plan• Government agencies
– local, state, and intergovernmental organizations
• Private sector – NGO’s, business, industry,
farmland owners, and private land owners
• Volunteers
Plan Evaluation: The Chicago Wilderness Report Card
Instructor: Grumbine Term: Winter 2001Subject: Grade:Hierarchical ContextEcological BoundariesEcological IntegrityData CollectionMonitoringAdaptive ManagementInter-agency cooperationHumans embedded in natureValues as determinants of Behavior
Hierarchical Context
• Integrates both local and regional planning
• Plan is used at both the ecosystem and landscape level
• Concern for genetic variability and population size
B
Ecological Boundaries• Works across political boundaries by
incorporating portions of Wisconsin and Indiana
• Key players include:– Federal and Local Governmental
Agencies– Private Sectors
B-
Ecological Integrity
• Conservation of viable populations of native species– Invasive species control
• Maintaining natural disturbance regimes– Prescribed burns
• Reintroduction of native species– Native seed bank
A
Data Collection
• Ecological inventory used to establish a baseline in which to measure change over time
C
Monitoring• A central focus of the plan• Monitoring methods:
– Choose indicators– Set thresholds– Design sampling protocols
• Use a region-wide monitoring program to detect change at three levels:– Landscape– Natural and human communities– Species
• Used to evaluate and improve management techniques
A-
Adaptive Management
• Another central focus of the plan• Conservation design is site-based from a single
natural area to an entire region• Includes a flexible 100 year plan
A
Interagency Cooperation
• 124 public and private organizations involved• Education across political boundaries
B+
Humans Embedded in Nature
• Objectives of the plan include citizen involvement and sustainable development
• Organizations provide educational programs and nature walks free of charge
• Volunteer stewardship days held at over 200 sites
A-
Values As Determinants of Behavior
• Plan identifies human values and threats to these values through a series of questions:– What do we want to protect and
enhance within this site?– What do we want these targets to
look like in x years?– What could prevent us from
achieving this vision of our targets?
B-
Final Report Card
Instructor: Grumbine Term: Winter 2001Subject: Grade:Hierarchical Context BEcological Boundaries B-Ecological Integrity AData Collection CMonitoring A-Adaptive Management AInter-agency cooperation B+Humans embedded in nature A-Values as determinants of Behavior B-
Chicago Wilderness GPA: 3.23
Mayor Richard M. Daley
“The Chicago
Wilderness Management Plan is
Grrrrrreat!”
Information Taken from:http://www.chicagowilderness.org