Evaluation of Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2010.

摘要

This is the seventh and final annual report of a project (2004 2010) addressing evaluation of the cumulative effects of habitat restoration actions in the 235-km-long lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE). The project, called the Cumulative Effects (CE) study, was conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District by collaborating research agencies led by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The primary goal of the CE study was to develop a methodology to evaluate the cumulative effects of habitat actions in the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP). The project produced 1) effectiveness monitoring protocols and methods to standardize monitoring activities; 2) the theoretical and empirical basis for a CE methodology using a levels-of-evidence approach; 3) evaluations using ecological relationships, geo-referenced data, hydrodynamic modeling, and meta- analyses; and 4) an adaptive management process to coordinate and coalesce restoration efforts in the LCRE. Although more data and information are needed about the mechanisms linking restoration of LCRE ecosystems to effects on juvenile salmonids, a solid foundation has been laid for future comprehensive evaluations of progress made by the CEERP to understand, conserve, and restore ecosystems in the LCRE.