Society for Ecological Restoration - Northwest Chapter Conference

Presented by:
Peter J. Paquet, Drew Parkin, Northwest Power Planning Council

See web version of PowerPoint presentation

Abstract
Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT) is a landscape-based approach relating events and actions affecting animal populations and their habitat to the long-term performance of species of interest. The EDT method incorporates a conceptual framework, a procedure, and a set of tools. The framework provides the theoretical foundation, the procedure prescribes the steps in planning and analyzing ecosystem information in support of decision-making, and the tools are the databases and model components used to organize, analyze, and summarize information.

EDT constructs a working hypothesis for a species-habitat relationship in a watershed. It depends upon the results of statistical analyses and expert knowledge to formulate hypotheses, which in turn can be tested through statistical models. To be effective, it must be closely coupled with monitoring and evaluation to develop the working hypothesis over time.

EDT has been tested in the Columbia Basin in the Multi-species Framework analysis to compare a set of comprehensive visions for the Columbia Basin. The first stage in this analysis focused on chinook salmon. Based on available environmental descriptions of some 7,500 spatial habitat units (6-level HUCs) for the Columbia River basin as well as information on hatchery production, harvest, and hydro operations, we projected productivity, capacity and diversity for 73 natural and 50 hatchery populations of chinook salmon under 10 different scenarios. This analysis will be the basis for analysis of the 59 subbasins that make up the Columbia River Basin as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council’s subbasin planning process.

EDT should contribute the following to this effort:

• Creation of subbasin working hypotheses
• Comparison of management alternatives for subbasin planners
• Evaluation of subbasin plans with respect to provincial and basin level objectives and the Council’s scientific foundation
• Identification of constraints and opportunities within subbasins
• Rationale for prioritization of actions within subbasins
• Basis for biological objectives at the province and subbasin levels
• Identification of monitoring needs with respect to the objectives
• Identification of research priorities based on the EDT hypotheses.

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