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The Importance of Healthy Riparian Areas and their Current Status in Wisconsin

The Importance of Healthy Riparian Areas and their Current Status in Wisconsin Tim Asplund, Buzz Sorge (WI DNR) Advanced Lake Leaders – Green Lake Sept. 26, 2013. Courtesy of MN DNR. Lakeshore zone. Shallow zone. Complexity:

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The Importance of Healthy Riparian Areas and their Current Status in Wisconsin

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  1. The Importance of Healthy Riparian Areas and their Current Status in Wisconsin Tim Asplund, Buzz Sorge (WI DNR) Advanced Lake Leaders – Green Lake Sept. 26, 2013 Courtesy of MN DNR

  2. Lakeshore zone Shallow zone Complexity: The degree to which both lakeshore and shallow zones are intact. Complex habitats facilitate movement of food into and out of lakes, provide shelter and nesting areas for fish an wildlife, and buffer human impacts. Disturbance:

  3. Shorelands and Shallows

  4. Shorelands and Shallows

  5. Shorelands and Shallows

  6. Shorelands and Shallows

  7. SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT

  8. Shoreland Assessments • Riparian Habitat • Vegetation cover • Shoreline and bank • Trees and shrubs • Littoral Habitat • Bottom substrate • Aquatic plants • Fish habitat • Human Influences • Docks, piers, seawalls • Buildings, lawns, driveways

  9. Data: U.W. BioComplexity project

  10. Fish grow ~3X faster in lakes with lots of woody habitat Undeveloped Undeveloped log Growth Rate (mm/yr) Low Development Low Development High Development High Development Woody Habitat (no./km) From Schindler et al. 2000

  11. FLOATING-LEAF VEGETATION Jennings et al 2003

  12. Shorelands and Shallows

  13. Shorelands and Shallows

  14. Shorelands and Shallows

  15. 2007 National Lake Assessment

  16. Poor Biology is Three Times More Common when Lakeshore Habitat is Poor Regional summary: Northern Plains, Coastal Plains and Xeric have highest proportion of lakes with poor habitat conditions While Northern Appalachian exhibits the highest proportion of lakes with high-quality habitat, > 25% of lakeshores are in poor condition

  17. NLA Physical Habitat and Human Disturbance Indices • Riparian (Lakeshore) Vegetation Cover Index • Littoral Habitat Cover Index • Littoral Habitat and Lakeshore Vegetation Complexity Index • Riparian Disturbance Intensity and Extent Index

  18. Protocol Littoral Zone • Bottom substrate • Aquatic macrophytes • Fish cover • Canopy • Understory • Ground cover • Shoreline substrate • Human influence • Bank features • Invasive species Riparian Zone Both

  19. Condition of the Nation’s Lakes: Habitat

  20. Stressors to the Nation’s Lakes:Extent, Relative Risk, and Attributable Risk #1 – Lakeshore vegetation: Poor biology is three times more common when lakeshore vegetation cover is in poor condition. This affects 36% of lakes. #2 – Nutrients: Poor biology is 2.5 times more common when nutrients are high. This affects about 20% of lakes.

  21. Riparian Disturbance

  22. Littoral Cover Index

  23. Lakes sampled for shore habitat in 2012 and 2013

  24. Goals of 2013 National Lake Assessment Lakeshore Sampling • expand the assessment of lakeshore habitat condition across Wisconsin • analyze lakeshore habitat condition in terms of lake area and surrounding land use • Compare macrophyte survey methods: point-intercept vs. transect • develop ecoregion-specific lakeshore habitat metrics for Wisconsin • Incorporate lakeshore habitat metrics into WisCALM and Citizen Lakes Monitoring • use lakeshore habitat metrics in addition to trophic status to assess lake health

  25. Restoring Complexity and Functional Values of Shorelands

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