An integrative approach to prioritizing and restoring aquatic habitat connectivity in a national park setting : the case of Kejimkujik

Abstract

In recent years, the degree of connectivity between and amongst aquatic ecosystems has been subject to increased anthropogenic alteration and disturbance, causing restricted access to suitable habitat and in some cases leading to complete biotic isolation. This phenomenon, known as aquatic habitat fragmentation is often caused by improperly functioning structures such as road culverts, bridges, and dams. Regrettably, infrastructure development, management, and land use decisions continue in the absence of adequate information on hydrologic connectivity, likely because a standardized and well-defined protocol for assessing aquatic connectivity does not currently exist. Although scoring and ranking methods have been used to assess and restore integrity at a single barrier structure, the cumulative effects of multiple barriers are rarely considered and are poorly understood because methods are not available to measure their effects. Attempting to help fill this void,this thesis applied a Parks Canada optimization model developed by Cote et al., (2009) called the Dendritic Connectivity Index (DCI). This model helped to assess the connectivity status of the aquatic ecosystem at Kejimkujik National Park through the identification of barriers restricting fish movement and fragmenting the landscape. This connectivity information was then applied to help develop a of a prioritization scheme that maximized ecosystem benefit by assessing the cumulative impact of multiple barriers, therefore helping park management make better informed decisions.