Abstract |
This document represents nearly seven years of work that has resulted in a long-term plan to monitor Great Lakes coastal wetlands using a scientifically validated sampling design and suite of indicators and metrics developed by many project partners. It includes a thorough cost analysis chapter that describes estimated costs associated with each element of the plan. The document should be of great value and benefit to agencies planning to incorporate coastal wetland monitoring into their overall monitoring strategy. This document recommends multiple biological protocols and metrics for monitoring the condition of Great Lakes coastal wetlands – including those for plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and birds. Also recommended is a design for sampling Great Lakes coastal wetlands that allows users to monitor condition of these wetlands on an annual basis. With a combination of repeated site visits and random sampling of other wetlands on an annual basis, users can establish status and trends (positive, negative, no change) of wetland condition for a given site, region, or for all Great Lakes coastal wetlands. |