US Fish and Wildlife Service completed a regional assessment of salt marsh integrity (SMI) on 15 National Wildlife Refuges/Refuge Complexes in the northeastern US. Developed within a structured decision making (SDM) framework, the SMI assessment provides essential baseline data on salt marsh condition relative to regional management objectives. These data now provide the basis for applying the SDM framework to optimize management decisions.
The Challenge: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) needs tools to inform decisions regarding the management and restoration of salt marsh ecosystems on northeastern National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). Previously, we developed a structured decision making (SDM) framework for optimizing refuge management decisions at the regional scale. This SDM framework served as the foundation for a consistent approach to monitoring salt marsh integrity on refuges throughout the region, in which the monitoring variables are linked explicitly to management goals. Monitoring data now exist to provide the basis for prioritizing local management options.
The Science: In partnership with FWS, we are applying the regional SDM framework to fifteen northeastern coastal NWRs. We engaged regional and refuge biologists and managers in workshops to identify potential actions to achieve management objectives and predict possible the outcomes of management actions. We have built this information into prototype refuge-specific Excel-based tools that can be used to identify those actions that maximize total management benefits subject to refuge-wide budget constraints. The prototype tools provide structured approaches for local decision making that can be updated for implementation as new data and information become available.
The Future: SDM provides a systematic, transparent approach for connecting the outcomes of complex decisions to overall management objectives. Use of the SDM framework on northeastern NWRs helps to ensures that monitoring data can be used to improve the quality of management decisions.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut, through use of structured decision making
Optimization of tidal marsh management at the Cape May and Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuges, New Jersey, through use of structured decision making
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex through use of structured decision making
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, through use of structured decision making
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware, through use of structured decision making
Use of structured decision making to identify monitoring variables and management priorities for salt marsh ecosystems
Identification of metrics to monitor salt marsh integrity on National Wildlife Refuges in relation to conservation and management objectives
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
US Fish and Wildlife Service completed a regional assessment of salt marsh integrity (SMI) on 15 National Wildlife Refuges/Refuge Complexes in the northeastern US. Developed within a structured decision making (SDM) framework, the SMI assessment provides essential baseline data on salt marsh condition relative to regional management objectives. These data now provide the basis for applying the SDM framework to optimize management decisions.
The Challenge: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) needs tools to inform decisions regarding the management and restoration of salt marsh ecosystems on northeastern National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). Previously, we developed a structured decision making (SDM) framework for optimizing refuge management decisions at the regional scale. This SDM framework served as the foundation for a consistent approach to monitoring salt marsh integrity on refuges throughout the region, in which the monitoring variables are linked explicitly to management goals. Monitoring data now exist to provide the basis for prioritizing local management options.
The Science: In partnership with FWS, we are applying the regional SDM framework to fifteen northeastern coastal NWRs. We engaged regional and refuge biologists and managers in workshops to identify potential actions to achieve management objectives and predict possible the outcomes of management actions. We have built this information into prototype refuge-specific Excel-based tools that can be used to identify those actions that maximize total management benefits subject to refuge-wide budget constraints. The prototype tools provide structured approaches for local decision making that can be updated for implementation as new data and information become available.
The Future: SDM provides a systematic, transparent approach for connecting the outcomes of complex decisions to overall management objectives. Use of the SDM framework on northeastern NWRs helps to ensures that monitoring data can be used to improve the quality of management decisions.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut, through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances tradeoffs among objectiveAuthorsLaurel E. Low, Hilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Kristina Vagos, Richard PotvinOptimization of tidal marsh management at the Cape May and Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuges, New Jersey, through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances tradeoffs among objectiveAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Brian Braudis, Heidi HanlonOptimization of salt marsh management at the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances tradeoffs among objectiveAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Nicholas T. ErnstOptimization of salt marsh management at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances tradeoffs among objectiveAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Kevin S. HolcombOptimization of salt marsh management at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware, through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances tradeoffs among objectiveAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Susan T. Guiteras, Laura R. MitchellUse of structured decision making to identify monitoring variables and management priorities for salt marsh ecosystems
Most salt marshes in the USA have been degraded by human activities, and coastal managers are faced with complex choices among possible actions to restore or enhance ecosystem integrity. We applied structured decision making (SDM) to guide selection of monitoring variables and management priorities for salt marshes within the National Wildlife Refuge System in the northeastern USA. In general, SDMAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, W. Gregory Shriver, Susan C. AdamowiczIdentification of metrics to monitor salt marsh integrity on National Wildlife Refuges in relation to conservation and management objectives
Executive Summary Most salt marshes in the US have been degraded by human activities, and threats from physical alterations, surrounding land-use, species invasions, and global climate change persist. Salt marshes are unique and highly productive ecosystems with high intrinsic value to wildlife, and many National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) have been established in coastal areas to protect large tractAuthorsHilary A. Neckles, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, W. George Shriver, Nicholas P. Danz, Whitney A. Wiest, Jessica L. Nagel, Jennifer H. Olker - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.