Adaptive Management Process Research Articles

Hidroituango: How to Reach Adaptive Management to Recover Part of the Ecosystem Connectivity in the Cauca River Basin in Colombia

With the worldwide rapid population increase seen in the past century, the electric energy demand increased also dramatically. In Colombia this led to a boom in the construction of hydroelectric plants in the late 60ies. Today, some accidents while the construction of the biggest plant in the country, Hidroituango, revealed a series of errors made through all those years and opened up a discussion on how to address management focused on the environmental protection of riverine systems in this and similar projects in the Country. Adaptive management has proven to be an effective alternative when giving solutions to this kind of problems. Successful implementation cases have been found in the Colorado and Columbia rivers (In the U.S.A) among others. Similar adaptive management processes can be applied in Colombia. However, there must be considered many local variables as well as political, social, economic and some others interests and complications.

Using integrated landscape management to scale agroforestry: examples from Ecuador

Agroforestry is considered a foundation for multi-functional, socio-ecological landscape transformation. Landscapes where agroforestry is practiced contribute to the full range of goods and services from agriculture to natural resources needed for social and ecological sustainability. Yet the barriers to large-scale agroforestry adoption are substantial, rooted in the misalignment between risk-takers (small-scale farmers) and beneficiaries (society at large). Integrated landscape management (ILM) offers a strategy for scaling up agroforestry by mobilizing collaborative efforts among multi-sector stakeholders to address these barriers. This study explores the application of ILM strategies in agroforestry initiatives in two landscapes in Ecuador: the Choco-Andean Bio-Corridor led by Ecuadorian society and the Agenda for Transforming Production in the Amazon project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The ILM framework provides the conceptual basis for analyzing processes that advance the scaling-up of agroforestry, limits to progress, prospective levers of change to unlock constraints, and partnership strategies to accelerate agroforestry development. The cases demonstrate that ILM strategies are valuable in advancing the knowledge-intensive and adaptive collaborative management processes needed to scale agroforestry adoption.

Informed water management alternatives for an over‐allocated river: Incorporating salmon life stage effects into a decision tree process during drought

AbstractWater competition in overallocated rivers is often extreme, and climate change exacerbates the challenge of balancing ecosystem and societal water needs. During a severe California drought in 2013–2014, storage in a strategic reservoir dropped to critically low levels, necessitating reduced downstream discharge during Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), incubation and rearing. In response, stakeholders developed an adaptive management process to balance competing water needs, including reservoir storage and salmon survival. This approach incorporated decision tree models, integrating salmon life stage transitions to define potential impacts. Life stage‐specific thresholds were identified and monitored to determine management triggers and actions. Flow reduction stranded up to 12% of incubating embryos and thus was used to trigger a flow pulse. Frequency of stranded fry in redds was reduced post‐pulse. Water quality did not change but remained within the species’ tolerance. High densities, poor body condition and aggressive behaviour of stranded fry triggered a second pulse three weeks later. This pulse reduced stranding and initiated downstream migration. Prescribed flow pulses supported outmigration of a keystone species while minimising water use during a critical period. This study evaluated ecological responses to management actions intended to ameliorate stressful low flow conditions and provided a decision‐making framework that can be used when resource use conflicts arise again.

Using decision analysis to collaboratively respond to invasive species threats: A case study of Lake Erie grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Decisions about invasive species control and eradication can be difficult because of uncertainty in population demographics, movement ecology, and effectiveness of potential response actions. These decisions often include multiple stakeholders and management entities with potentially different objectives, management priorities, and jurisdictional authority. We provide a case study of using multi-party, collaborative decision analysis to aid decision makers in determining objectives and control actions for invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in Lake Erie. Creating this process required binational (Canada-United States) and multi-state/provincial collaboration to craft a shared problem statement, establish objectives related to ecological, economic, and social concerns, determine potential response actions, and evaluate consequences and tradeoffs of these actions. We used participatory modeling and expert elicitation to evaluate the effectiveness of control scenarios that varied in action type (i.e., removal efforts and spawning barriers) and the temporal and spatial application of these actions. Using a matrix population model parameterized for western Lake Erie grass carp, we found that removal efforts concentrated in areas of high catchability, when paired with a spawning barrier on the Sandusky River, Ohio, USA, could effectively control grass carp in Lake Erie, if all assumptions are met. We determined a set of key uncertainties regarding gear catchability and current population size that have led to the transition to an adaptive management process. In addition, our work formed the basis for grass carp management plans for the states of Michigan and Ohio and has provided a means for collaboration among agencies for effective application of control efforts.

Strategies to improve implementation of adaptive management practices for restoration in coastal Louisiana

Natural resources of coastal Louisiana support the economies of Louisiana and the whole of the United States. However, future conditions of coastal Louisiana are highly uncertain due to the dynamic processes of the Mississippi River delta, unpredictable storm events, subsidence, sea level rise, increasing temperatures, and extensive historic management actions that have altered natural coastal processes. To address these concerns, a centralized state agency was formed to coordinate coastal protection and restoration effort, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). This promoted knowledge centralization and supported informal adaptive management for restoration efforts, at that time mostly funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). Since the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in 2010 and the subsequent settlement, the majority of restoration funding for the next 15 years will come through one of the DWH mechanisms; Natural Resource and Damage Assessment (NRDA), the RESTORE Council, or National Fish and Wildlife Foundation –Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF-GEBF). This has greatly increased restoration effort and increased governance complexity associated with project funding, implementation, and reporting. As a result, there is enhanced impetus to formalize and unify adaptive management processes for coastal restoration in Louisiana. Through synthesis of input from local coastal managers, historical and current processes for project and programmatic implementation and adaptive management were summarized. Key gaps and needs to specifically increase implementation of adaptive management within the Louisiana coastal restoration community were identified and developed into eight tangible and specific recommendations. These were to streamline governance through increased coordination amongst implementing entities, develop a discoverable and practical lessons learned and decision database, coordinate ecosystem reporting, identify commonality of restoration goals, develop a common cross-agency adaptive management handbook for all personnel, improve communication (both in-reach and outreach), have a common repository and clearing house for numerical models used for restoration planning and assessment, and expand approaches for two-way stakeholder engagement throughout the restoration process. A common vision and maximizing synergies between entities can improve adaptive management implementation to maximize ecosystem and community benefits of restoration effort in coastal Louisiana. This work adds to current knowledge by providing specific strategies and recommendations, based upon extensive engagement with restoration practitioners from multiple state and federal agencies. Addressing these practitioner-identified gaps and needs will improve engagement in adaptive management in coastal Louisiana, a large geographic area with high restoration implementation within a complex governance framework.

Long-Term Stability of the Faunal Community of a Subtropical Estuary: Evaluating Disturbances in the Context of Interannual Variability

Estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems can have significant intra- and interannual variability in faunal community structure, complicating management response to disturbances as disturbance effects must be detectable within normal variability and on timescales relevant to management entities. We examined a long-term, multi-gear dataset on estuarine faunal (fish and select invertebrate) communities to determine if community structure changes due to disturbances could be detected on management-relevant timescales (e.g., years), given that these communities have known seasonal and interannual variability. Results from multivariate, community-based analyses, and several univariate diversity indices for fauna of Tampa Bay, Florida, USA suggested general community stability over the long term, with the exceptions of 2005–2006 (prolonged red tide event) and 2010 (extreme cold event in winter). Community structure was notably outside the typical variability for both time periods. In 2005, species richness decreased by half for one gear type and was the lowest on record for the other two gear types. In 2010, when the relative abundance of a top predator decreased by 50% from cold-related mortality, Simpson’s diversity index was the lowest on record for one gear type. The red tide and extreme-cold events differed in duration and the number of taxa directly impacted (multispecies vs. single-species, respectively) but both multivariate and univariate analyses indicated significant deviation in the faunal community structure during these years. Within 1–3 years after these major events, however, the community seemed to have returned to a structure like that of previous years, suggesting long-term stability and resilience. Our results confirm that multivariate and univariate analyses can detect major disturbances to estuarine faunal communities, which gives management entities options for which analysis approach is appropriate for their needs. Since the Tampa Bay faunal communities recovered within 3 years, we suggest that where long-term monitoring exists, active restoration might be deferred while monitoring for signs of recovery following the removal of a perturbation. This is a fundamental part of sound adaptive management processes to promote sustainable ecosystems.

A Case-Study Application of the Experimental Watershed Study Design to Advance Adaptive Management of Contemporary Watersheds

Land managers are often inadequately informed to make management decisions in contemporary watersheds, in which sources of impairment are simultaneously shifting due to the combined influences of land use change, rapid ongoing human population growth, and changing environmental conditions. There is, thus, a great need for effective collaborative adaptive management (CAM; or derivatives) efforts utilizing an accepted methodological approach that provides data needed to properly identify and address past, present, and future sources of impairment. The experimental watershed study design holds great promise for meeting such needs and facilitating an effective collaborative and adaptive management process. To advance understanding of natural and anthropogenic influences on sources of impairment, and to demonstrate the approach in a contemporary watershed, a nested-scale experimental watershed study design was implemented in a representative, contemporary, mixed-use watershed located in Midwestern USA. Results identify challenges associated with CAM, and how the experimental watershed approach can help to objectively elucidate causal factors, target critical source areas, and provide the science-based information needed to make informed management decisions. Results show urban/suburban development and agriculture are primary drivers of alterations to watershed hydrology, streamflow regimes, transport of multiple water quality constituents, and stream physical habitat. However, several natural processes and watershed characteristics, such as surficial geology and stream system evolution, are likely compounding observed water quality impairment and aquatic habitat degradation. Given the varied and complicated set of factors contributing to such issues in the study watershed and other contemporary watersheds, watershed restoration is likely subject to physical limitations and should be conceptualized in the context of achievable goals/objectives. Overall, results demonstrate the immense, globally transferrable value of the experimental watershed approach and coupled CAM process to address contemporary water resource management challenges.

Understanding Peacebuilding Coordination and Impact Using a Complex Adaptive Systems Method

The application of complex adaptive systems (CAS) analysis can enhance the effectiveness of coordination in international peacebuilding interventions. This study demonstrates the utility of an inductive CAS analysis approach using rich field data from Kosovo in 2010. It reveals unintended patterns of interaction across key sectors that blocked many intervenors’ peacebuilding policies. Most notably, it shows that international actors pragmatically using informal coordination practices to advance peacebuilding goals also fuelled negative dynamics that, paradoxically, undermined those same goals. The methodology employed illuminates the complex, non-linear dynamics of interactions between international and local actors that led to many hybrid outcomes in Kosovo. Although the resulting insights on Kosovo’s challenges are specific to the 2010 period, many continue to resonate today. More broadly, it shows how a CAS approach can be used to support evidence-based coordination and adaptive management processes in international peacebuilding interventions to improve outcomes.

Towards adaptive coastal management: Lessons from a “legal storm” in Byron Shire, Australia

Adaptive management has been advocated as an appropriate approach for the management of social-ecological systems, although its implementation has proven to be a challenge. Legal systems can hinder or facilitate adaptive management. Focusing on legal arrangements, this article explores how adaptive management can be better operationalised in the context of coastal management. Byron Shire, a local government area in New South Wales, Australia, was selected as a case study where we: (a) analysed how the concept of adaptive management has emerged within the evolution of coastal management and its applicable legal framework, and (b) identified juridical constraints to adaptive coastal management. Qualitative methods were used for the analysis of relevant documents and semi-structured interviews with 23 key informants. The results show that a distorted version of adaptive management has been adopted in Byron Shire's draft coastal management plans, which fails to adhere to the formal, structured, and iterative process of adaptive management. A legacy created by the legal effects of past decisions affecting coastal management has led to a path dependency towards protective measures to manage coastal erosion, constraining other management options, particularly managed realignment strategies. Failure to address juridical constraints in the early stages of the adaptive management process can result in stakeholder conflict and litigation. Overlitigation harms adaptive coastal management by pushing the decision-making process away from the pathway offered by the legal framework for preparing and implementing coastal management plans. After recent legislative coastal reform at the state level, there is momentum for the Byron Shire Council to refocus its adaptive management approach. However, overcoming existing juridical constraints will require adaptive governance, in which all levels of government must work collaboratively with the affected stakeholders in the design and implementation of the adaptive management process.

Setting expected timelines of fished population recovery for the adaptive management of a marine protected area network.

Adaptive management of marine protected areas (MPAs) requires developing methods to evaluate whether monitoring data indicate that they are performing as expected. Modeling the expected responses of targeted species to an MPA network, with a clear timeline for those expectations, can aid in the development of a monitoring program that efficiently evaluates expectations over appropriate time frames. Here, we describe the expected trajectories in abundance and biomass following MPA implementation for populations of 19 nearshore fishery species in California. To capture the process of filling in the age structure truncated by fishing, we used age‐structured population models with stochastic larval recruitment to predict responses to MPA implementation. We implemented both demographically open (high larval immigration) and closed (high self‐recruitment) populations to model the range of possible trajectories as they depend on recruitment dynamics. From these simulations, we quantified the time scales over which anticipated increases in abundance and biomass inside MPAs would become statistically detectable. Predicted population biomass responses range from little change, for species with low fishing rates, to increasing by a factor of nearly seven, for species with high fishing rates before MPA establishment. Increases in biomass following MPA implementation are usually greater in both magnitude and statistical detectability than increases in abundance. For most species, increases in abundance would not begin to become detectable for at least 10 years after implementation. Overall, these results inform potential indicator metrics (biomass), potential indicator species (those with a high fishing : natural mortality ratio), and time frame (>10 yr) for MPA monitoring assessment as part of the adaptive management process.

Synergy between adaptive management and participatory modelling: The two processes as interconnected spirals

The management of social-ecological systems often presents a complex and wicked problem due to interactions between natural processes and varied, sometimes opposing, stakeholder goals. The adaptive management and participatory modelling processes are often used either to manage or in support of the management of social-ecological systems but are not always used in concert. We suggest that these processes are naturally complementary with overlapping components and between-process feedback. As such, we advocate that adaptive management should make use of participatory modelling for the management of social-ecological systems to increase stakeholder communication, confidence, and participation, streamline management strategy development, and improve management strategy application and durability. We present a translation of the typical adaptive management cycle concept to a spiral format, as well as a representation of adaptive management and participatory modelling proceeding together as interconnected spirals.

Management of Invasive Water Hyacinth as Both a Nuisance Weed and Invertebrate Habitat

Author(s): Donley Marineau, Erin; Perryman, Matthew J.; Lawler, Sharon P.; Hartman, Rosemary K.; Pratt, Paul D. | Abstract: Invasive species have many detrimental ecological and socio-economic effects. However, invasive species can also provide novel habitat for native species. The growing rate of biological invasions world-wide presents an urgent dilemma: how can natural resource managers minimize negative effects of invasive species without depleting native taxa that have come to rely on them? Adaptive management can provide a means to address this dilemma when invasive species management plans are crafted in novel environments. We present a case study of research in support of adaptive management that considers the role of invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms [Pontederiaceae]) management, using herbicides, in aquatic food web functioning in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California, USA (the “Delta”). We hypothesized that herbicide applications under current management protocols would reduce the abundance and diversity of aquatic invertebrates because they would alter both structural and biological habitat. Using a Before, After, Control, Intervention (BACI) experiment, we sampled invertebrates per gram plant biomass before and 4 weeks after glyphosate applications in treated and untreated locations. There was more plant biomass in the late-season samples because dead, dying, and living plant materials were compacted. However, there were no detectable differences between control and treated sites — or for samples before versus after the treatment date—for invertebrate abundance, species richness, or evenness. This case study demonstrates that even decaying water hyacinth serves as habitat for invertebrates that may be forage for Delta fishes. We concluded that current management practices using glyphosate do not affect invertebrate abundance during a month-long period of weed decay. These results provide valuable feedback for the “evaluate and respond” component of the adaptive management process for water hyacinth control, and demonstrate how managers globally can and should consider potential food web effects in the course of their invasive species management efforts.

Cannot see the random forest for the decision trees: selecting predictive models for restoration ecology

Improving predictions of restoration outcomes is increasingly important to resource managers for accountability and adaptive management, yet there is limited guidance for selecting a predictive model from the multitude available. The goal of this article was to identify an optimal predictive framework for restoration ecology using 11 modeling frameworks (including machine learning, inferential, and ensemble approaches) and three data groups (field data, geographic data [GIS], and a combination thereof). We test this approach with a dataset from a large postfire sagebrush reestablishment project in the Great Basin, U.S.A. Predictive power varied among models and data groups, ranging from 58% to 79% accuracy. Finer‐scale field data generally had the greatest predictive power, although GIS data were present in the best models overall. An ensemble prediction computed from the 10 models parameterized to field data was well above average for accuracy but was outperformed by others that prioritized model parsimony by selecting predictor variables based on rankings of their importance among all candidate models. The variation in predictive power among a suite of modeling frameworks underscores the importance of a model comparison and refinement approach that evaluates multiple models and data groups, and selects variables based on their contribution to predictive power. The enhanced understanding of factors influencing restoration outcomes accomplished by this framework has the potential to aid the adaptive management process for improving future restoration outcomes.

Environmental adaptive management: Application on submarine mine tailings disposal.

Marine tailings disposal from mineral production is expected to have an environmental impact. In this case study we use a discharge of limestone processing tailings to a Norwegian fjord to describe an adaptive management process. The aim of the paper is to describe the development of an environmental adaptive management system (EAMS), contrasted with management simply based on the quantity of the discharge. The main driver for developing a new management system for the submarine tailings deposits was a desire to establish a system based on what was perceived as important to all stakeholders, that is, environmental impact. Involvement of stakeholders is essential, and a resource group with members from fisheries, local interest organizations, scientists, independent experts, and managers from the mining company jointly defined common sets of acceptance criteria to evaluate impact. Introduction of an EAMS has resulted in a change in the company's view of the impact their activity has on the environment and in an increased willingness to initiate monitoring and research to reduce knowledge gaps and uncertainty and impact on the marine environment. Environmental adaptive management has facilitated the development of a more ecologically relevant, integrated, and focused submarine tailings deposits management. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:575-583. © 2019 SETAC.

Invasive lionfish in the Mediterranean: Low public awareness yet high stakeholder concerns

A lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic has been one of the most ecologically harmful fish invasions to date. Experience there has shown that its management is most effective when the public and stakeholders are involved. The lionfish (Pterois miles) has recently invaded the Mediterranean, spreading at an alarming rate. To understand lionfish knowledge and perceptions, questionnaire surveys were conducted with a representative cross section of the adult general public (via telephone) and stakeholders (via organised meetings) in Cyprus. Results from 300 public surveys revealed limited awareness about the lionfish but strong support for its local management. Men and older respondents showed stronger support compared to women and younger respondents, respectively. Results from 108 stakeholder revealed high level of awareness and almost unanimous support for management measures. The majority had not experienced any effects from the recent lionfish invasion, but some reported negative impacts such as limited access to dive sites, ecosystem damage and fishing gear destruction. Few stakeholders perceived benefits of this invasive species, e.g. to dive tourism or as a food source. Almost all stakeholders expressed a willingness to get involved in lionfish management, but only around half would consider personal consumption, or sports incentives as good incentives for their participation. Encouragement from scientists through coordination, training and support was suggested as an essential part of effective management strategy. The results of this study can inform an efficient adaptive management process across the Mediterranean region and assist future engagement of citizen scientists in lionfish control and mitigation.

Coping with uncertainty in water management: Qualitative system analysis as a vehicle to visualize the plurality of practitioners' uncertainty handling routines

Accelerated environmental and societal change and its dynamic present a challenge for water management, making it increasingly relevant to integrate uncertainties into the decision-making process. The challenge to science informing practice is how to provide scientific uncertainty information in a way that this information becomes usable for practitioners. We know that practitioners have developed routines in order to cope with uncertainties, but in order to facilitate the transfer of uncertainty information, this study analyses by whom, when and where in the decision-making process uncertainty routines are used. This research contributes to the plurality of practitioners' perspectives on decision-making under uncertainty in water management. Based on expert elicitation we show that, depending on the business unit and on the time horizon of the management object, practitioners are using different uncertainty routines and hence are in need of more tailor-made uncertainty information to inform their decision-making. Our qualitative systems modeling approach highlighting a reservoir management example serves as a boundary object visualizing the intersection of uncertainty routines and fostering cross-communication and acknowledgement of different perspectives among practitioners. It thus provides a platform for learning. Moreover, it provides a clear understanding of the uncertainty information needs which scientists may cover and increases the usability of their research findings, closing the science-practice gap in adaptive management and transformation processes.

Action-orientated research and framework: insights from the French long-term social-ecological research network

Many social-ecological system(SES)-based approaches have been proposed to address environmental problems. Most social-ecological frameworks developed to date, however, lack clear operational linkages between humans and nature to efficiently guide SESs toward resilience. A conceptual framework designed to be operational is therefore necessary, as well as a network of research platforms with which to apply it. We defined explicit coupling processes that can be used as leverages to pilot an SES toward sustainability. We proposed to formalize an SES as a dynamic entity composed of two coupling interfaces, i.e., adaptive management and ecosystem services, both set within a landscape context to provide an actionable framework. These interfaces describe the way various actors, including scholars, benefit from and manage complex and changing interactions between the biophysical and social templates. Understanding the key processes underlying the interaction dynamics, especially those leveraging adaptive management processes, would help identify adaptive pathways for practices and collective actions, provide a crucial knowledge base for policy makers, and foster operationality as a requisite of an SES research agenda. Using several examples, we explained why long-term social-ecological research platforms provide an ideal operational network of research infrastructures to conduct place-based action-orientated research targeting the sustainability of SESs.

Are you better off alone? Mitigating the underperformance of engineering teams during conceptual design through adaptive process management

Teams are a major feature of engineering and are commonly thought to be necessary when solving dynamic and complex problems. Even though teams collectively provide a diversity of knowledge, skills, and perspectives to problem-solving, previous work has demonstrated that in certain scenarios, such as in language-based and more spatially oriented configuration design problems, the production by a team is inferior to that of a similar number of individuals working independently (i.e., nominal team). This research explores this comparison of individual versus group problem-solving within the domain of conceptual engineering design. Thus, a behavioral study was run with freshman engineering students, who solved a conceptual engineering design problem individually or collaboratively in a team. Results corroborate previous findings, exhibiting that individuals outperform teams in the overall quality of their design solutions, even within this more free-flowing and explorative setting of conceptual design. Exploiting this result, this work further considers whether adaptive feedback from a process manager can lessen the underperformance of collaborative design teams compared to individuals, by helping teams overcome potential deterrents that may be contributing to their inferior performance. Teams that are under the guidance of a process manager end up performing better than teams that are not in terms of solution quality, and almost as well as individuals, though not significantly different. This result suggests that process managers are able to mitigate some of the deficiencies in design teams. In an attempt to uncover some of the cognitive rationale and strategies that may be beneficial throughout problem-solving, the managerial interactions with the design teams are then investigated. Furthermore, to determine the reason of the collaborative teams’ underperformance, the effect of verbalization is studied as a possible cognitive hindrance. In the end, this work expands growing research on team problem-solving in engineering, and suggests that collaborative teams may not be optimal in every circumstance, but under the proper process management, can become substantially more effective.

Photointerpretation analysis of plant communities in Lake Ontario wetlands following 65 years of lake-level regulation

Abstract Regulation of Lake Ontario water levels since the St. Lawrence Seaway began operation in the early 1960s reduced the range of lake-level fluctuations and resulted in alteration of wetland plant communities, especially invasion of sedge/grass meadow marsh by cattails. A new regulation plan was implemented in January 2017 that seeks to restore some of the natural range in lake levels to benefit the environment. An adaptive management process accompanied the new Plan 2014, requiring before-after data for evaluation. Aerial photographs from 2014/2015 were obtained from existing sources for 16 wetlands previously assessed from 2001 photographs, and photointerpretation was used to re-map the vegetation types from the earlier study. The updated data set provides further information on wetland response to lake-level regulation. Overall, area of Meadow Marsh decreased from 2001 to 2014/2015 in most wetlands. In some cases, losses were due to increased Cattail abundance and in others to Mixed Emergent abundance. Although area of Cattail did increase at half the sites, expansion landward into Meadow Marsh was likely limited to an upper elevation with drier soils that had not been flooded for at least 15 years. Waterward expansion of Cattail was slow because it occurs by formation of vegetatively-expanding floating mats. The updated data set can now serve as a baseline for future adaptive management evaluations, including response to extreme high lake levels in 2017 and future low lake levels that Plan 2014 should allow during periods of low water supply.

Colonization and usage of an artificial urban wetland complex by freshwater turtles.

Conservation authorities invest heavily in the restoration and/or creation of wetlands to counteract the destruction of habitat caused by urbanization. Monitoring the colonization of these new wetlands is critical to an adaptive management process. We conducted a turtle mark-recapture survey in a 250 ha artificially created wetland complex in a large North American city (Toronto, Ontario). We found that two of Ontario’s eight native turtle species (Snapping turtle (SN), Chelydra serpentina, and Midland Painted (MP) turtle, Chrysemys picta marginata) were abundant and both were confirmed nesting. The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) was present but not well established. Species richness and turtle density were not equally distributed throughout the wetland complex. We noted SN almost exclusively populated one water body, while other areas of the wetland had a varying representation of both species. The sex ratios of both SN and MP turtles were 1:1. We tracked the movement of Snapping and Blanding’s turtles and found that most turtles explored at least two water bodies in the park, that females explored more water bodies than males, and that 95% of turtles showed fidelity to individual overwintering wetlands. We performed DNA analysis of two Blanding’s turtles found in the created wetlands and could not assign these turtles to any known profiled populations. The genetic data suggest that the turtles probably belong to a remnant local population. We discuss the implications of our results for connectivity of artificial wetlands and the importance of the whole wetland complex to this turtle assemblage.