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Kurt Kowalski

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These files were used to construct corridors estimating the extent of new coastal corridors exposed by reduced lake levels. They are included here to show the available horizontal extent of lidar-derived topo-bathymetric data and thus explicitly identify gaps and limitations of predicted corridor extents under various reduced lake level scenarios. In addition, these files provide users with a background layer that depicts the topographic variability of the submerged near-shore lake bed and terrestrial landscape.These files are 5m grid representations of the hydrographic and topographic data collected by the CHARTS system along the coasts of the U.S. sides of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie,...
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Habitat suitability was estimated for invasive Phragmites in the coastal Great Lakes region (shoreline to 10 km inland). These estimates were based on current distribution patterns and environmental conditions. Phragmites presence or absence was defined based on a distribution map produced by cooperative research between the GLSC and Michigan Technical Research Institute. Environmental variables were processed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and came from existing publicly available sources. Variables include descriptors of soils, nutrients, topography, ecoregion, anthropogenic disturbance, and climate. Environmental conditions and Phragmites presence/absence were sampled in a GIS at points established...
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A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in the coastal wetlands that surround the Great Lakes, with some species benefiting from periods of low water levels. Phragmites australis, a prominent invasive grass that disrupts fish and wildlife habitats, thrived during the most recent period of low lake levels. However, periods of high lake levels could provide managers with opportunities...
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