Implementing an adaptive management strategy for Phragmites management in the Great Lakes basin

Session: Connecting Management Needs and Science Information (2)

Samantha Stanton, Great Lakes Commission, [email protected]
Kurt Kowalski, U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected]
Christine Dumoulin, University of Georgia , [email protected]
Dan Engel, U.S. Geological Survey (Contractor), [email protected]
Erika Jensen, Great Lakes Commission, [email protected]
Elaine Ferrier, [email protected]
Jeffrey Schaeffer, USGS Great Lakes Science Center, [email protected]

Abstract

Non-native Phragmites australis is an aggressive invader within the Great Lakes basin, known to invade over 60,000 acres of shoreline. The aggressive nature of this invader requires a basin-wide management effort to reduce its current and future degradation of the landscape. A survey distributed by the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative (https://www.greatlakesphragmites.net/) identified the need for standardized monitoring protocols, decision support tools, and a central repository of Phragmites management data to improve control efficacy. Thus, with the support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF) was developed as a program designed to reduce uncertainty in Phragmites control using adaptive management. Through a systematic approach, PAMF collaborates with Phragmites managers across the basin to refine best management practices and provide site-specific management guidance. This guidance is produced by a computational model that balances the efficacy of management approaches against their costs. Efficacy is calculated from management and monitoring outcomes provided by participants each year. Over time, recommendations become increasingly based on participant data from across the basin. This presentation will cover the ins and outs of the adaptive management cycle, with particular focus on the model.