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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: “Make No Little Plans”: Developing Biodiversity Conservation Strategies for the Great Lakes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2014

Douglas R. Pearsall ,
Mary L. Khoury ,
John Paskus ,
Dan Kraus ,
Patrick J. Doran ,
Scott P. Sowa ,
Rachael Franks Taylor  and
Lauri K. Elbing
Douglas R. Pearsall*
Affiliation:
Senior Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, Lansing, Michigan
Mary L. Khoury
Affiliation:
Aquatic Ecologist and Conservation Planner, The Nature Conservancy, Chicago, Illinois
John Paskus
Affiliation:
Conservation Planning Section Leader, and Senior Conservation Scientist, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
Dan Kraus
Affiliation:
Manager of Conservation Science and Planning, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Guelph, Canada
Patrick J. Doran
Affiliation:
Director of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, Lansing, Michigan
Scott P. Sowa
Affiliation:
Director of Science, The Nature Conservancy, Lansing, Michigan
Rachael Franks Taylor
Affiliation:
Director of Coastal Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, Traverse City, Michigan
Lauri K. Elbing
Affiliation:
Policy Associate, The Nature Conservancy, Lansing, Michigan
*
Doug Pearsall, The Nature Conservancy, 101 East Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906; (phone) 517-316-2259; (fax) 517-316-2886; (e-mail) [email protected]
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Abstract

The Laurentian Great Lakes represent the world's largest freshwater ecosystem and contain irreplaceable biodiversity. Lakewide Action and Management Plans (LAMPs) hold the highest potential for ecosystem management in the Great Lakes but have not specifically addressed biodiversity status or strategies for conservation. For four Great Lakes, recently completed biodiversity conservation strategies (blueprints) have assessed the status and threats to biodiversity and recommended strategies for conservation and restoration; a blueprint is under way also for Lake Superior. Here, we compare the completed blueprints and explore challenges to conservation planning for large ecosystems. We also assess whether earlier blueprints are being adopted and offer suggestions for more effective implementation. All of the blueprints focus on biodiversity in the lakes and coastal areas, and some include tributaries and migratory species. Biodiversity status was rated as fair (out of desirable range but restorable) in each lake, with some exceptions and considerable spatial variability. Aquatic invasive species ranked as a top threat to biodiversity in all four blueprints. Other highly ranked threats included incompatible development, climate change, terrestrial invasive species, dams and barriers, and non-point-source pollutants. The recommended strategies are characterized by six themes: coastal conservation, invasive species, connectivity and hydrology, fish restoration, nearshore water quality, and climate change. Each blueprint highlights high-priority strategies, but successful protection and restoration of Great Lakes biodiversity require revisiting these priorities in an adaptive approach.

Environmental Practice 15:462–480 (2013)

Type
Features
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 462 - 480
Copyright
Copyright © National Association of Environmental Professionals 2013 

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