1.
Ukraine Polyana Workshop July 2018
Michael D. Owen, Aquatic Ecologist, Monongahela National Forest, USDA Forest Service
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat

2.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS
(12 Indicator Model)
5. RIPARIAN VEGETATION
1. Vegetation Condition
AQUATIC
PHYSICAL
(Weight = 30%)
12. FOREST HEALTH
1. Insects and Disease
2. Ozone
11. TERRESTRIAL
INVASIVE SPECIES
1. Extent & Rate of Spread
AQUATIC
BIOLOGICAL
(Weight = 30%)
TERRESTRIAL
PHYSICAL
(Weight = 30%)
TERRESTRIAL
BIOLOGICAL
(Weight = 10%)
4. AQUATIC BIOTA
1. Life Form Presence
2. Native Species
3. Exotic and/or Invasive
Species
6. ROADS & TRAILS
1. Open Road Density
2. Road Maintenance
3. Proximity to Water
4. Mass Wasting
9. FOREST COVER
1. Loss of Forest Cover
7. SOILS
1. Soil Productivity
2. Soil Erosion
3. Soil Contamination
1. WATER QUALITY
1. Impaired Waters
(303d Listed)
2. Water Quality Problems
(Not Listed)
2. WATER QUANTITY
1. Flow Characteristics
10. RANGELAND
VEGETATION
1. Vegetation Condition
8. FIRE REGIME or
WILDFIRE
1. Fire Condition Class
OR
2. Wildfire Effects
3. AQUATIC HABITAT
1. Habitat Fragmentation
2. Large Woody Debris
3. Channel Shape and
Function
Purpose:
Address aquatic habitat condition
with respect to habitat
fragmentation, large woody
debris, and channel shape and
function.
Rationale:
Maintaining connectivity
between heterogeneous and
complex aquatic habitats at
multiple scales is recognized as
an important influence on
species diversity and ecosystem
stability (Sedell et al. 1990).

3.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Attributes:
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation (including AOP)
3.2 Large Woody Debris (LWD)
3.3 Channel Shape and Function
Additional Guidance:
• Rate LWD “Not Applicable” if presence of wood is not an important
process

4.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Rule Sets for Ratings
Condition Rating Functioning Properly (1) Functioning at Risk (2) Impaired Function (3)
Indicator 3
Aquatic Habitat
High quality habitat and
channel conditions
some high quality
conditions and some
degraded conditions
Mostly degraded
habitat and channel
conditions
3.1 Habitat
Fragmentation
>95% of historic habitats
are still connected
25% to 95% of historic
habitats are still
connected
<25% of historic
habitats are still
connected
3.2 Large Woody
Debris (LWD)
LWD is present and
being recruited at near
natural rates
LWD may be present
but abundance or
recruitment is less than
natural rates
LWD abundance and
recruitment is lacking
and impacting
aquatic habitat
3.3 Channel
Shape and
Function
<5% of stream channels
show evidence of
excessive (geo-fluvial)
instability
5% to 25% of stream
channels show evidence
of excessive (geo-fluvial)
instability
>25% of stream
channels show
evidence of excessive
(geo-fluvial)
instability

5.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
• When a larger region of
aquatic habitat becomes
divided into a collection of
smaller habitat patches
which isolate populations of
aquatic organisms.
• This can occur when physical
barriers are introduced or
when habitat conditions
become unsuitable and
interrupt natural migration
patterns of aquatic
organisms.
Attribute 3.1 - Habitat Fragmentation
Approximately 104 stream
miles of 263 stream miles
affected by AOP issues

6.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation
How it can look What it can affect

7.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation
Road-Stream Crossings
• Inlet/outlet drops
• Water velocity
• Length/exhaustion
• Insufficient depth
• debris accumulation
• Discontinuous
substrate

8.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation
Under-sized barrier culvert
Newly replaced crossing

9.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation
Vertical barrier culverts
Newly eliminated crossing

10.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation – U.S. Forest Service Example
• WCC Rating: 3
• rule set was utilized
• based on road/stream crossings and
local knowledge of crossing
characteristics
• in the absence of specific local
knowledge, assumptions were made
on the basis of crossing density
• migration barriers related to habitat
degradation, such as stream
temperature and water chemistry,
were also considered
• percent habitat fragmentation was
typically estimated using GIS maps of
known or suspected isolated habitat

11.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.1 Habitat Fragmentation – U.S. Forest Service Example

12.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Attribute 3.2 - Large Woody Debris (LWD)
• LWD is woody structure in
aquatic and riparian
environments
• Occurs naturally in forested
ecosystems through various
recruitment processes
• Performs many important
ecological functions that help
sustain healthy aquatic
ecosystems
• Rate LWD “Not Applicable” if it is not an
important component of the natural
ecological process

13.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Attribute 3.2 - Large Woody Debris (LWD)
Natural In-stream LWD Complex

14.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Attribute 3.2 - Large Woody Debris (LWD)
Natural Floodplain LWD Complexes

15.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
Attribute 3.2 - Large Woody Debris (LWD)
Pre-treatment
As-Built
(2013)
May 30, 2016

16.
Indicator 3: Aquatic Habitat
3.2 Large Woody Debris – U.S. Forest Service Example
• WCC Rating: 2
• rule set was utilized
• LWD recruitment potential was
assessed using stand age classes
within stream channel buffers that
represented default riparian areas
• Remote sensing data was used to
identify non-forested land cover
• Streams in the National Hydrography
Dataset (NHD) were buffered 100
feet on each side to delineated
stream channel buffers
• LWD abundance is characteristically
deficient throughout the Forest due
historic land management practices