Developing programs to monitor ecosystem health and effectiveness of management practices on Lakes States National Forests, USA

Assessing accomplishment of management objectives related to ecosystem health requires monitoring key indicators, including ecological processes and components of biological diversity. For these purposes, a monitoring plan was developed on the Chequamegon National Forest. It was refined by use of public workshops and technical consultation, and later adjusted based on practicality and additional inventory needs. To date, monitoring has focused on plants and birds, including long-term baseline monitoring in both managed forest and more natural areas. Monitoring is done at both the national forest and the ranger district levels, a forest subunit, the latter usually focusing on specific projects rather than forestwide ecosystem health concerns. Examples from the Laurentian ranger district of the Superior National Forest are provided. Future assessments will require qualitative, quantitative and spatial analyses of community, ecosystem, habitat and population trends and patterns, and management effects. An institutionalized program that focuses on key ecosystem components at various scales, and that involves concerned publics and many partners, will be necessary to provide feedback to refine forest management.