Estimating ecological integrity in the interior Columbia River basin

The adoption of ecosystem-based management strategies focuses attention on the need for broad scale estimates of ecological conditions; this poses two challenges for the science community: estimating broad scale ecosystem conditions from highly disparate data, often observed at different spatial scales, and interpreting these conditions relative to goals such as sustainability. The Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP), estimated relative composite ecological integrity by clustering conditions among proxy variables representing three component integrity ratings (forestland, rangeland, and aquatic integrity). Composite ecological integrity provides an estimate of relative system condition within the interior Columbia River basin assessment area that is responsive to changes in broad scale land management practices. Broad-scale measures can be used to assess progress toward land management goals or as an aide for managers in selecting or prioritizing areas (watersheds) for treatment. Currently, federal land managers are using estimates of current composite ecological integrity and trends in ecological integrity to prioritize management activities and understand effects of management actions.