Functional Linkages Evaluation
Functional linkages are the connections between habitat conditions and fish populations. Evaluating functional linkages helped develop and prioritize management actions for the Salmon Habitat Plan in the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed.
There were two reports, one for each phase of the evaluation process:
- Phase 1: Toward an Understanding of Functional Linkages Between Habitat Quality, Quantity, and Distribution; and Sustainable Salmonid Populations: A Review of Analytical Approaches and Recommendations for Use in WRIA 9 (December 2003)(Adobe Acrobat 840 KB)
- Final WRIA 9 Conservation Hypotheses - Functional Linkages Phase 2 (November 2005)(Adobe Acrobat 661 KB)
In addition, there were appendices for Phase I and 2 (Adobe Acrobat 1.5 MB).
The Functional Linkages Evaluation was Task 6 of the eight-step Strategic Assessment.
The Phase 1 report compared and contrasted a number of analytical models or tools and discusses the opportunities and issues associated with their application in WRIA 9. Seven approaches were selected for review and comparison:
- Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT),
- EDT-Light,
- SHIRAZ,
- Qualitative Habitat Assessment (QHA),
- Salmonid Watershed Assessment Model (SWAM),
- Cumulative Risk Initiative (CRI), and
- A synthesis of best available science related to salmon ecology and historic versus current habitat (Ecological Synthesis Approach).
The Phase 2 report summarizes the results of the Ecological Synthesis Approach recommended in Phase 1.
Other Strategic Assessment reports