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Cook Inlet Ecoregional Assessment

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Cook Inlet Ecoregional Assessment Cook Inlet Basin ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT The Nature Conservancy of Alaska AUGUST 2003 Cook Inlet Basin Ecoregional Assessment The Nature Conservancy of Alaska August 2003 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Cook Inlet Basin ecoregional assessment could not have been completed without the generous support of the U.S. Department of Defense/Fort Richardson, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and ConocoPhillips. The Nature Conservancy is extremely grateful to them for providing all of the funding necessary for this assessment. Local agencies and organizations provided hours of in-kind support.We would like to especially thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Defense, the National Estuarine Research Reserve for Kachemak Bay, Alaska Audubon Society, the Great Land Trust, Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, National Wildlife Federation, National Marine Fisheries Service, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and University of Alaska, among others, for lending their staff to this project. The Nature Conservancy in Alaska would also like to thank the following individuals for their expertise and time in this assessment: Jim Adams, Brad Andres, Ted Bailey, Larry Bartlett, Bill Bechtol, Mike Beck, Ed Berg, Keith Boggs, Michelle Brown, Vernon Byrd, Pat Comer, Christian Dau, Randall Davis, Jack Dean, John DeLapp, Rob Develice, Dan Dorfman, Gary Drew, Lani Kai Eggertsen-Goff, Larry Engel, Rick Ernst, Nancy Fair, Shawn Farley, Carmen Field, Michael Fleming, Rick Foster, Bob Gill, Howard Golden, Tracy Gotthardt, Mike Gracz, Herman Griese, Jonathan Hall, Colleen Handel, Jim Hemming, Jonathan Higgins, Gail Irvine, Liz Jozwiak, Darrell Kautz, Bruce King, Susan Klein, Mary Lammert, William Larned, Rob Lipkin, Elaine Major, Barbara Mahoney, Craig Matkin, Julie Michaelson, Sue Moore, Coowe Moss, Douglas Palmer, John Pearce, John Piatt, Bill Quirk, Ann Rappaport, Dan Rosenburg, Tom Rothe, Dave Rutz, Michael Roy, Carl Schoch, John Schoen, Sue Schulmeister, Dana Seagars, Michael Shepard, Marilyn Sigman, Beth Silverberg, Rick Sinnott, Curtis Smith, Gary Sonnevil, Page Spencer, Ted Spraker, Shawn Stephenson, Lowell Suring, Nicky Szarzi, Stephen Talbot, Gerald Tande, Ken Tarbox, Dave Wartinbee, Robin West, Craig Whitmore, Kelly Zeiner and Steve Zemke. Cover photo credits: short-billed dowitcher by Kim Heacox; Aerial view of Kenai Wildlife Refuge Lakes courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and brown bear with salmon by Robert Angell. Cook Inlet Basin Ecoregional Assessment • page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................. 1 List of Figures ......................................................................................................................4 List of Tables .......................................................................................................................5 List of Appendices................................................................................................................6 A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 8 B. OVERVIEW OF THE COOK INLET BASIN ECOREGION ............................................. 12 1. Landscape and Species ...................................................................................................12 2. Ecological Processes ......................................................................................................14 3. Trends in Biodiversity....................................................................................................16 4. Socioeconomic Trends....................................................................................................17 5. Land Management ..........................................................................................................18 C. METHODS.............................................................................................................. 19 1. Selecting Conservation Targets ......................................................................................19 2. Setting Conservation Goals ............................................................................................20 3. Viability Assessment ......................................................................................................21 4. Designing the Portfolio ..................................................................................................22 5. Data Sources, Management and Limitations ...................................................................22 6. Ecoregional Assessment Team........................................................................................24 D. IDENTIFYING CONSERVATION TARGETS ............................................................... 25 1. Coarse Filter Targets ......................................................................................................26 1a Terrestrial Ecological Systems Model...............................................................26 1b Ecological Land Units and Terrestrial Ecological System Combinations.........................................................................................................27 1c Aquatic Ecological Systems Model....................................................................28 1d. Coastal Ecological Systems Map......................................................................30 2. Fine Filter Targets ..........................................................................................................31 2a. Birds................................................................................................................31 2b. Terrestrial Mammals........................................................................................34 2c. Aquatic and Amphibian Species........................................................................34 2d. Coastal Species................................................................................................35 The Nature Conservancy of Alaska • page 3 2e. Plants...............................................................................................................36 2f. Species Aggregations........................................................................................37 E. SETTING CONSERVATION GOALS.......................................................................... 38 1. Conservation Goals for Coarse Filter Targets .................................................................38 1a. Terrestrial Ecological Systems.........................................................................38 1b. Aquatic Ecological Systems..............................................................................39 1c. Coastal Ecological Systems..............................................................................40 2. Conservation Goals for Fine Filter Targets.....................................................................40 2a. Birds ................................................................................................................40 2b. Terrestrial Mammals........................................................................................40 2c. Aquatic and Amphibian Species........................................................................41 2d. Coastal Species ................................................................................................41 2e. Plants...............................................................................................................41 2f. Species Aggregations........................................................................................41 F. PORTFOLIO DESIGN............................................................................................... 42 1. Portfolio Selection Process .............................................................................................42 1a. Computer algorithm SITES...............................................................................42 1b. First Experts Workshop....................................................................................42 1c. Development of the Cost Suitability Index........................................................43 1d. Conservation Lands Assessment .......................................................................44 1e. First SITES Analysis: Development of a “Strawman” Portfolio.................................................................................................................45 1f. Second Experts Workshop.................................................................................46 1g. Second SITES analysis and Final Portfolio Design..........................................47 2. Selection of Aquatic Areas of Biological Significance ...................................................47 3. Portfolio Assembly Results.............................................................................................48 G. ASSESSING THE PORTFOLIO................................................................................. 51 1. Goal Assessment for Coarse Filter Targets .....................................................................52 1a. Terrestrial Systems...........................................................................................52 1b. ELU/System Combinations ...............................................................................54
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