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ASSESMENT OF THE CONDITION OF THE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THE MID-ATLANTIC
Citation:
Brown, B S. AND J F. Paul. ASSESMENT OF THE CONDITION OF THE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THE MID-ATLANTIC. Presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Annual Meeting, Philadelphia PA, November 14-18, 1999.
Description:
One objective of the Mid Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) program is a series of "state of the resource" assessment reports describing the condition of important natural resources within the region. These will culminate in an integrated statement of the ecological condition of the entire MAIA region. We are considering four methods to integrate information on ecological condition of a region: 1) summarizing information on multiple resources by each resource; 2) providing information which traces the impacts of human disturbance on any individual resource from the source through the socioeconomic effects; 3) providing information on a common "theme", such as land use change, for multiple resources; and 4) providing information which characterizes multiple resources for multiple themes. Different analytical approaches may be more appropriate for different integration methods. For example, multimetric indexes can be developed to describe the condition of each resource (such as estuaries, streams or forests). Using metrics for these indexes which address common issues of concern (such as habitat quality) would allow comparison of conditions among different ecological resources. Ecological systems models can be developed to facilitate understanding of the changes to the structure and function of a system from natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Correlations of spatial characteristics, such as land cover, with the condition of various biological receptors, can be used to identify areas of impairment common among multiple resources. Illustrations of the first three methods, developed from available information such as the Condition of the Mid Atlantic Estuaries and Mid Atlantic Highlands State of the Streams reports as well as data collected through USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program, will be provided.