Considerations for the use of ecological indicators in restoration effectiveness evaluation

This report was written by the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST) of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Information on report preparation and external review are included in the report.This report focuses on the use of ecological indicators to evaluate ecological restoration effectiveness, particularly restoration aimed at salmonid recovery and watershed restoration efforts under the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Part 1 addresses conceptual issues including how indicators can be linked to monitoring, how conceptual models can be incorporated into indicator frameworks, determining monitoring questions and selecting indicators, and inferring cause and effects from indicators. Part 2 discusses technical and analytical challenges that may arise when using indicators. Part 3 discusses how indicators can be used to report and describe status and trends of ecosystem health. The appendices includes a summary of large-scale restoration efforts and the indicators these programs have used in the United States. These case studies include the Chesapeake Bay Program, South Florida Ecosystem Restoration, CALFED Bay-Delta Program, and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency