Ecological Assessment, Mapping, and Prioritization of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Abstract

The Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority’s Natural Resource Department (NRD) is responsible for the management and conservation of undeveloped areas within 13 southeastern Michigan’s Metroparks- roughly 80% of the nearly 24,000 total acres. While their management decisions should ideally be based on consistent, current, and comprehensive ecological information, the data currently used by the NRD has been collected at different points in time, using different methods, and only in select undeveloped areas. This lack of consistent data inhibits the proper siting of municipal and recreational amenities and may lead to inefficient and unsound land management. Additionally, the NRD’s current method for assessing ecological quality is difficult to implement, given the reality of time, funding, and staffing constraints. Our master’s project sought to assist the NRD in the development of a practical, effective, and informed protocol for assessing ecological quality; thereby enabling the NRD to target management efforts towards natural areas of maximum conservation benefit. Five ecological assessment protocols were examined through a case-study approach in Lower Huron and Willow Metroparks during the fall of 2010: a Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA), the NRD’s current model, the Huron River Watershed Council’s Bioreserve Rapid Assessment Method (BRAM), the Huron River Watershed Council’s corresponding Bioreserve Desktop Analysis, and a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation. Each protocol was measured against a set of predetermined evaluation criteria as a means to determine their advantages and disadvantages for implementation within HCMA. A recommended action plan was developed for HCMA based on the findings of our evaluation. Our action plan recommends that the NRD generate preliminary data for all natural areas of all parks using a multi-criteria evaluation. Following this initial desktop analysis, HCMA’s NRD should implement the BRAM to create a comprehensive baseline dataset, as it is a resource-efficient and holistic approach to field-based ecological assessments. Our results suggest that the BRAM is a relatively accurate and reliable assessment given its large statistical correlation with FQA and the HCMA’s current model. We highly recommend NRD pursue partnerships with local conservation organizations in order to implement and expand the agency’s management, conservation, and preservation activities.