Oleson, Kirsten L. L., author.

Evaluating management effectiveness for land-based sources of pollutants / Principal Investigator: Kirsten L. L. Oleson, Megan Barnes.

1 online resource (28 pages) : color illustrations

"Begin Date: 8/1/2014, End Date 2/28/2017."

"Institution: University of Hawaii Manoa, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM).

"Project Name: Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grant Programs. Project ID: 198 Project PI: Jenny Waddell"--CoRIS spreadsheet document.

"Land-based sediments and nutrients threaten shallow coral reef ecosystems in Hawaii. To most effectively address threats from land-based source pollutants (LBSP) and enhance coral reef resilience in priority sites, the Hawaii Coral Reef Strategy calls for an integrated ecosystem-based management approach, as opposed to one focused on single sectors. At the West Maui state and NOAA priority site, several broad management efforts to improve reef health are underway. There is a critical unfulfilled need to evaluate the multiple potential resource management strategies and actions, especially given the broad suite of ecosystem threats, resource uses, costs, and stakeholder objectives at play. In this project, we focus on quantifying LBSP, specifically the sources, sinks, flows, and management levers. Land use managers considering the effects of different nutrient or erosion mitigation options, such as riparian buffer zones, cover crops, or better landscaping practices, currently lack critical information and tools to predict the LBSP outcomes and costs. The tool built in this project enables managers to evaluate the relative management and cost effectiveness of management strategies, spatially optimize specific actions based on impact and/or cost, and quantify the trade-offs associated with alternative strategies. Methods: The project's main activities were to: (1) identify, map, and quantify key land-based stressors to the coral reef ecosystem that are driven by land use and currently targeted by management; (2) identify and map feasible and appropriate best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate stressors' impacts; (3) develop and test a novel spatial predictive model that quantifies change in land-based stressor due to specific management actions; (4) simulate key stressors under different management practices using predictive model; (5) evaluate the benefits and costs of different management scenarios; (6) conduct a tradeoff analysis of alternative management strategies to inform spatial planning of the most effective BMPs; and (7) recommend implementation strategies for cost- and environmentally-effective spatial management. Results: We identified, mapped, and quantified key land-based pollution sources in a highly participatory process. We developed spatial models capable of predicting sediment and nutrient pollution from the landscape, stream banks, and on-site disposal systems. We analyzed the costeffectiveness and trade-offs posed by alternative strategies for tackling erosion from unmaintained agricultural roads. We assessed the relative benefits of alternative strategies across the landscape to mitigate sediment from fallow agricultural fields, nutrients applied to landscaping, and upgrades of on-site disposal systems. We assessed the sensitivity of these benefits to future land use and climate conditions"--Management summary.

Includes bibliographical references.

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NA14NOS4820089, 198.

Coral reef management Hawaii Evaluation.

Coral reef conservation Hawaii Evaluation.

Water Pollution Hawaii Prevention.

Barnes, Megan, author.

Waddell, Jenny, originator.

Coral Reef Conservation Program (U.S.), sponsor.

University of Hawaii at Manoa. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, sponsor.