ISSN:
1573-2959
Keywords:
assessment
;
ecology
;
estuaries
;
indicators
;
mid-Atlantic
;
monitoring
;
scale
;
trends
;
West
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
Notes:
Abstract Management for the future sustainability and integrity of our nation's ecological resources requires concepts and tools for measuring status and trends in these resources at multiple spatial and temporal scales and at multiple levels of biological organization. Key elements of this process are ecologically meaningful indicators and cost-effective monitoring designs. The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) advances the science needed for measuring ecosystem condition and trends. Most recently the EMAP approach has been successfully used by participants in the Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA), including EPA's Office of Research and Development, EPA's Region III, and the States of the Mid-Atlantic. The participants in MAIA have produced a regional landscape atlas, state of the estuaries report, and state of the streams report. The work in MAIA is currently moving from monitoring into the assessment phase. The Western EMAP Pilot (Western Pilot), will be a test of our current MAIA indicators and technology for applicability in western ecosystems. New indicators and designs may be needed in the Western Pilot for assessments at the level of EPA's Regions, of the states, and of the Tribes; these assessments will be done so that they can be combined to provide regional assessments. Our coastal monitoring program in the Western estuaries will also be initiated shortly. Subsequently, this will be expanded to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to provide the current condition of our national estuaries. By continuing to improve the science of monitoring, EMAP researchers will remove data gaps and allow the unequivocal assessment of the health of the nation's resources.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1006449827904
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