Considering Ecosystem Services in Restoration Decisions on the Upper Mississippi River System

1. ACES, 2008 Considering Ecosystem Services in Restoration Decisions on the Upper Mississippi River System • K. S. Lubinski • K. Barr • J. Barko • S. Bartell • R. Clevenstine • M. Davis • D. Galat • D. Wilcox

2. Outline I. UMR restoration questions II. Ecosystem services progress on the UMR - workshop results III. Outlook: - what seems to fit, what doesn’t

3. I. UMR restoration questions and decisions

4. River Management Questions Yesterday’s - - Fish or ducks? - To stock? Set bag limits? Today’s - System level • Can we fix some pieces of the system without • jeopardizing others? • (fishes AND ducks AND mussels?) • - How much restoration is enough? Project level • Build project X? • Build project X before project Y?

5. Our multi-objective dilemma Problem: Navigation Pool “aging” Symptoms: Altered hydrograph, loss of depth, sediment re-suspension One solution: DRAWDOWNS Justification: Good for aquatic vegetation, good for waterfowl BUT … Mussel mortality?

6. Ecosystem services progress on the UMR • - workshop results

7. Ecological production functions Ecosystems Impacts of actions Human Actions Services/ Biophysical Values Provides information Economic valuation functions Economic Values Conceptual Framework adapted from the National Research Council (2004)

8. Initial List of UMR Ecological Services Cultural Services Aesthetics Recreation Science/education Spiritual/historic Provisioning Services Food Genetic resources Raw materials Water Supply (including transportation) Regulating Services Biological regulation Disturbance (Flood) regulation Nutrient regulation Soil retention Waste regulation

9. Essential River Ecosystem Characteristics External, Large-Scale Driving Factors Fluvial Dynamics Some Ecosystem Services Habitat Structure Terrestrial Environment/ Land Use Drinking Water Food Fiber Flood Mediation Waste Assimilation Recreation Navigation Biotic Interactions Floodplain Connectivity River Plants, Animals And Ecological Processes Energy Type & Quantity Climate Flow Regime Water Chemistry

10. Decomposers Animals Sunlight Vegetation Water Sediment Physical Floodplain Template BASIC FLOODPLAIN ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS (Source: Lubinski 2007)

11. HUMANS Animals (Source: Lubinski 2007)

12. Aesthetics Ecosystem Services Waste Regulation Raw Materials Water Supply Food Ecosystem Structures & Functions HUMANS The “Cart” The “Horse”

13. A Hypothetical but Likely Assessment of Benefits +2 Without projects Measurements/ Values +1 0 -1 -2 +2 With projects Measurements/ Values +1 ? 0 -1 -2 ES1 ES2 ES3 ES4 ES5 • - To maximize or optimize? • Can we afford to lose any service completely?

14. Good News: Managers are embracing the concept of ecosystem services. System Goal 5: Viable populations of native species Example Reach Objective –Adjust dam operations to emulate water table regimes that historically supported floodplain forest native plant communities. Ecosystem Functions – Soils dry & oxidize, allowing root systems to expand Limiting Factor – Loss of historical forest plant community Impounded water table Lowered water table Species intolerant of saturated soils survive and expand range Forest plant species complexity increases; habitat & food resources for wildlifeenriched Exotic grasses and forbs less competitive with diverse native species present ECOSYSTEM SERVICE Improved wildlife viewing, food foraging, aesthetics

15. III. Outlook: - what seems to fit, what doesn’t

16. Relative Value of Ecosystem Services As Decision Criteria Scale of Decisions Project ? Technically measureable? Countable within framework? ++ System (UMRS) ? Policy Outside Corps guidance?

17. Recap • Upper Mississippi River System management • “keeping pace” with methodology and concepts 2. Management attraction to ecosystem services 3. Potential value of tool may be greater at larger scales Moving on …..