LRBOIWildRiceResearchandMonitoring

AllisonSmartEnvironmentalCoordinator

LittleRiverBandofOttawaIndians

BackgroundontheLittleRiverBandofOttawaIndians

• LocatedinManistee

• BandsthatwouldbecometheLittleRiverBandofOttawaIndiansweresignatoriesof1836TreatyofWashington(Michiganbecameastate10monthslater)

• LRBOIreaffirmedbythefederalgovernmentin1994• OurNaturalResourcesDepartment

has3branches(Environmental,FisheriesandWildlife)and18fulltimestaff

• 1of5CORATribes(LRBOI,LTBB,GTB,SSM,BMIC)• Citizenshavetherighttohuntfish

andgatherwithinthe1836cededterritories(2000GreatLakesand2007InlandConsentDecrees)

WhyDoesWildRiceMatter?TribalCommunities

OurGreatLakesConnectionUniversityofWisconsinExtension1985

WhyDoesWildRiceMatter?

• Habitatforavarietyoforganisms• Supportsothernativeplantspecies• Highnutrientuptake

Ecology

Z.palustris– NorthernWildRice

Z.aquatica– SouthernWildRice

BackgroundonMannomin atLRBOI–Whywearenowresearchedfocused.• CircleofFlightmoniesforrestorationandplanting• Plantedoverseveralyearsinearly2000s• Seedwasplantedin5locations• 2locationsstillhavesomericein2015.• 1sitehasabed,butistoosparsetoharvest

• 1sitehasricethatgrowseveryyearbutinfewnumbers(<50plantsayear)

• Knowledgeexistedthatbothspecies(Z.aquatica/Z.palustris)indigenoustoMIgrowinManisteearea

LRBOIBiologisthadalotofquestionsandveryvery few

answers

2010/2011 Questions

• Why didn’t the rice grow / flourish in areas seeded?

• Based on geography are abiotic habitat parameters similar for wild rice beds in Michigan?

• Are the abiotic habitat parameters different where each species grows?

Sowhydidn’tthericegrow?Accordingtoabiotichabitatparameterssampledwestill

donotknow

Aretheredifferencesbetweensitesbasedongeographiclocations?

UPLPSWLP

Aretheabiotichabitatparametersdifferentbetweenspeciespresent?

Z. palustrisZ. aquatica

StudyingGeneticDiversity

ObservedDistributionofGeneticDiversity

4%

54%

42%

Between MI and MN/WI

Among sites within state groupsWithin sites

DeterminingFishAssemblages

Lookingatwhatfisharefoundinwildricebeds:2017andbeyond

WildRiceMonitoring

• AnnualDensity• AnnualBedArea• AnnualSeedCollection• AnnualSeedContaminateMonitoring(As,Hg,Pb,Cd,Se)(Alotofnon-detects)• WQMonitoring

LookingatBedArea,Density,&WaterDepth

LakeSite

EPARegion5WildRiceMonitoringNetwork

LongTermRestorationPlanning

• LookingatrestoringandenhancingbothspeciestoareasaroundManistee• Continuetoprotectandmonitorcurrentstands• Potentialenhancementthroughplanting• GraduateStudentProject

Questions?

• Acknowledgements• BIA• USEPARegion5• FondDuLacBand• CMU:• WhitneyBelaski• SaraFriedline

• LRBOIStaff

AllisonSmartasmart@lrboi-nsn.gov231-398-2196Formoreinformationfielddata:JoshBeaulaurierjoshuabeaulaurier@lrboi-nsn.gov231-398-2183