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Understanding Ecosystem Monitoring: Tracking Environmental Health and Change

Ecosystem monitoring is essential for assessing the health of environments by comparing current data with historical data. We monitor physical changes (e.g., through satellites), environmental shifts (e.g., climate variations), chemical changes (e.g., soil quality), and biological factors (e.g., organism populations). This monitoring occurs after significant disturbances or before major projects. Indicator species, such as amphibians, reveal ecosystem health, while global efforts track populations and changes. Baseline data and permanent plots aid in understanding impacts and making informed predictions, forming the basis for Environmental Impact Assessments.

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Understanding Ecosystem Monitoring: Tracking Environmental Health and Change

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  1. Interactions in Ecosystems Topic 7 – Environmental Monitoring

  2. Monitoring • Ecosystem Monitoring • Check the condition of an environment by comparing current information with previous information • Most famous example? • CO2

  3. Monitoring Cont… • What do we monitor? • Physical • Direct physical changes of the area (ex: using satellites) • Environmental • Changes in climate, temperature, weather • Chemical • Quality of soil, air, water • Biological • Changes in organisms, populations

  4. Monitoring Cont… • When do we monitor? • After major disturbances (volcano erupts, earthquake, etc…) • Before and after a major project is planned (foresting) • Sensitive or susceptible areas • Looking for the safe balance between human and the needs of other organisms

  5. Monitoring Cont … • Indicator species • Species that help indicate the overall health of an ecosystem/environment • Amphibians are great indicators • Why? • Very susceptible to changes in their environment and it can lead to deformation or death • Lots of deformation and/or death = problem

  6. Monitoring Cont … • Global Monitoring • A global task force that monitors amphibian populations around the world • They compile information and determine how populations are globally • Declining? • Growing? • Remaining the Same? Yay Thanks! Thanks!

  7. Baseline data • In order to determine environment impact we need to know what it was like before • This is known as baseline data • Permanent Plots is the answer! • Plots of landed, specifically chosen by biologists to monitor and collect baseline data

  8. Baseline Data Cont… • How else do they keep track of … • … animals for examples? • … birds for example? • Tagging animals • Migration patterns • Weight, Height, Size • General health • Etc … Tracking Hammerhead Sharks

  9. Baseline Data … • The baseline data is also useful for making predictions! • If I drain this wetland to build a mall … what is the predicted impact? • When all of this information is compiled into a report and distributed the report is known as an Environmental Impact Assessment

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