Grantee Research Project Results
1999 Progress Report: Development and Evaluation of Multi-Scale Mechanistic Indicators of Regional Landscapes
EPA Grant Number: R825870Title: Development and Evaluation of Multi-Scale Mechanistic Indicators of Regional Landscapes
Investigators: Richards, Carl , Host, George E. , Johnson, Lucinda
Institution: University of Minnesota - Duluth
Current Institution: University of Minnesota - Duluth , Natural Resources Research Institute
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: December 1, 1997 through November 30, 2000
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 1998 through November 30,1999
Project Amount: $925,000
RFA: Ecosystem Indicators (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Aquatic Ecosystems
Objective:
To develop predictive models that integrate landscape scale factors with reach scale physical and chemical stream attributes to: (1) quantify key compositional and structural attributes of stream biota, and (2) derive ecosystem indicators at multiple spatial scales.
To evaluate the appropriate scale of terrestrial and aquatic data necessary to resolve regional and local aquatic resource questions and improve our ability to distinguish and quantify natural variation in indicators from that derived from anthropogenic stressors.
To assess the extent to which regional and local-scale indices (including standard indices of ecological integrity (e.g., IBI) reflect fundamental ecosystem processes and structural properties of stream habitats and biota.
Progress Summary:
Considerable progress has been made on all aspects of the research. Our progress to date equals or exceeds our expectations for this time period. A summary of the major components of our work efforts follows.
Spatial Databases/GIS. Nearly all spatial data for the Indicators Project has been collected and summarized. Recently, new or improved versions of elevation data (DEM 7.5 minute, level 2) and land cover from the National Land Cover Data set have become available. Level 2 DEMS provide more accurate and consistent elevation values and therefore, better estimates of slope and drainage. The National Land Cover Data set provides consistent land cover classes across both Minnesota and Michigan. These new data have been incorporated into our existing data sets. Land cover and other spatial data are currently being summarized, and landscape metrics are being calculated.
Twelve of the 36 Minnesota watersheds were chosen for high-resolution mapping of riparian areas. Originally, we planned to use airborne videography to compile a high resolution land cover data set for these areas. However, high quality color infra-red aerial photos from the MN DNR (1:15,840 scale) provide a much cheaper, and probably more effective, alternative. Photos for these areas 5 km upstream from each of the 12 study stations have been acquired. Photos are currently being scanned, rectified, interpreted, and digitized. We anticipate completing this task by the end of February.
Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sampling. As anticipated, we completed the majority of our instream sampling during the open water season of 1999. We conducted periphyton, nutrient limitation bioassays at our 36 sites in Minnesota during three different time periods. We were able to conduct periphyton bioassays at our 36 Michigan sites during spring, but drought conditions precluded experiments in 18 sites in fall. Physical and chemical measurements, coarse woody debris surveys, and fish surveys were conducted at all of our Minnesota sites. Macroinvertebrates were resampled at 12 of our Minnesota sites to assess interannual variation. A graduate student conducted an experiment to assess the effects of landscape variation on macroinvertebrate colonization and secondary production on course woody debris at 12 of our Minnesota sites.
Analysis/Synthesis. Analysis of data has been limited to date since we have focused our efforts on data collection. However, we have conducted some preliminary analysis of periphyton and nutrient diffusing substrata data to test whether nitrogen, phosphorus, or both limit periphyton accrual. Our results suggest that nutrient availability had very little to do with periphyton accrual in the streams tested. We were only able to detect nutrient limitation in 3 of the 66 experiments analyzed thus far. In 9 cases, the addition of nutrients had a negative effect on periphyton accrual. A seemingly negative effect of adding a nutrient may be due to: (1) autogenic sloughing, (2) negative interactions with other compounds in the environment, or (3) manifestation of a non-nutrient limited condition. We will continue to investigate this condition.
Future Activities:
Spatial Databases/GIS. In the next year, efforts will focus on subsetting and processing data for input to specific modeling and statistical procedures. We will finish the assembly and evaluation of riparian data from the high resolution aerial photographs.
Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sampling. We anticipate limited sampling in the next field season. Our efforts will be limited to conducting woody debris retention experiments and event based water quality analyses at selected Minnesota sites. We will continue the processing of all chemical and biological samples collected in the last field season.
Analysis/Synthesis. We will focus on the analysis and synthesis of spatial and instream variables. Each of the individual databases will undergo extensive statistical analysis and interpretation. Following these analyses, we will evaluate alternatives techniques for linking and modeling indicators at the various spatial scales following procedures outlined in our original proposal.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 38 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
landscape ecology, stream ecology, watersheds, ecological effects, indicators, scaling, integrated assessment, Midwest, EPA Region 5., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Hydrology, Midwest, Nutrients, Ecology, Environmental Chemistry, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Chemistry, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geology, EPA Region, Ecological Indicators, agriculturally impacted watershed, aquatic ecosystem, nutrient supply, ecological exposure, EMAP, remote sensing, landscape indicator, satellite images, stressors, watersheds, ecosystem integrity, stream ecosystems, regional scale, soil, aquatic ecosystems, water quality, ecosystem stress, multiscale assessment, spatial and temporal patterns, Region 5, land useProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.