Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMR...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and society 2018-06, Vol.23 (2), p.6, Article art6
Main Authors: Bouska, Kristen L., Houser, Jeffrey N., De Jager, Nathan R., Hendrickson, Jon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic ecosystems
Controlling variable
Ecological adaptation
Ecological monitoring
Ecosystem management
Ecosystem restoration
Ecosystems
Environmental restoration
Floodplains
Government agencies
historical changes
large floodplain river
Mathematical analysis
Natural resource management
Natural resources
Quantitative analysis
Resilience
Rivers
Services
Spatial analysis
Structure-function relationships
Studies
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Summary:The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in the context of an ecological resilience assessment. Our description articulates the temporal and spatial extent of our assessment of the UMRS, the relevant historical context, the valued services provided by the system, and the fundamental controlling variables that determine its structure and function. An important objective of developing the system description was to determine the simplest, adequate conceptual understanding of the UMRS. We conceptualize a simplified UMRS as three interconnected subsystems: lotic channels, lentic off-channel areas, and floodplains. By identifying controlling variables within each subsystem, we have developed a shared understanding of the basic structure and function of the UMRS, which will serve as the basis for ongoing quantitative evaluations of factors that likely contribute to the resilience of the UMRS. As we undertake the subsequent elements of a resilience assessment, we anticipate our improved understanding of interactions, feedbacks, and critical thresholds will assist natural resource managers to better recognize the system’s ability to adapt to existing and new stresses.
ISSN:1708-3087
1708-3087
DOI:10.5751/ES-10014-230206