Grantee Research Project Results
1999 Progress Report: Developing Effective Ecological Indicators for Watershed Analysis
EPA Grant Number: R827638Title: Developing Effective Ecological Indicators for Watershed Analysis
Investigators: Patten, Duncan T. , Marcus, Andrew , Lawrence, Rick , Minshall, Wayne
Institution: Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies , Idaho State University , Montana State University - Bozeman
Current Institution: Idaho State University , Montana State University - Bozeman , University of Oregon
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2002
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000
Project Amount: $868,242
RFA: Ecological Indicators (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
Most watersheds throughout the Rocky Mountains have been altered by some form of resource management or natural perturbation, for example, grazing, timbering, mining and fires. The level of alteration of these watersheds might be an important factor influencing the integrity of streams and associated riparian ecosystems that are affected by the nature of the runoff from the watersheds. If the stream and riparian systems are altered by watershed outputs, then characteristics of these systems might be useful as indicators of the watershed condition.
This study is designed to develop improved indicators and innovative techniques for assisting and monitoring ecological integrity at the watershed level in the western United States. Its specific objectives are to develop practical, scientifically valid indicators that: (1) span multiple resource categories, (2) are relatively scale independent, (3) address different levels of biological organization, (4) can be rapidly and cost-effectively monitored by remote sensing, and (5) are sensitive to a broad range of anthropogenic and natural environmental stressors.
This project will bring the power of new technologies of hyperspectral imagery and other forms of remote sensing to bear on more typical studies of the relationships between ecological indicators of cause and effect between perturbations and ecosystem responses (e.g., processes or community changes). Using several watersheds in the Upper Yellowstone River basin, this study is relating the condition of stream geomorphology, riparian vegetational communities, and stream macroinvertebrate communities to the level of alteration of the associated watershed.
Progress Summary:
The first field season in summer 2000, a "pilot study" year, was used to test stream geomorphology and riparian community sampling methods to determine whether the methods will identify characteristics of these systems that might respond to watershed inputs and therefore be indicators of watershed condition. Most selected watersheds were altered by timbering, grazing or fire, while a few were still relatively pristine. Watersheds studied during 2000 included watersheds within Yellowstone National Park where fires of 1988 had impacted watershed functions, and watersheds of tributaries of the Upper Yellowstone River north of Yellowstone National Park that were used for grazing and timbering.
Within each watershed or subwatershed unit, stream geomorphological studies included sampling of morphological and woody debris over a continuous longitudinal stream transect as well as intensive stream data collected at confluence sites. The latter included in-stream mapping, sediment characterization and morphometrics.
Riparian characterization included sampling of riparian vegetation at sites near the terminus of the streams leaving particular watershed, or subwatersheds. Riparian sampling included vegetation patch types, structure, and species composition. Riparian vegetation characteristics will be related to riparian community location within the valley geomorphology.
Characteristics including levels of landscape alteration of these watersheds are being identified with LANDSAT and orthophoto imagery. This process was partially completed as field truthing of remote sensing GIS data was delayed because of closure of most of the area due to fire potential. These data will be directly correlated with levels of integrity of the stream and riparian systems.
While field studies were ongoing in summer 2000, several over-flights were planned to test different types of remote sensing at selected study reaches. These included both AVIRIS and HYMAP flights which would acquire hyperspectral data to be correlated with ground data. Smoke from forest fires in summer 2000 near the study area resulted in cancellation of certain flights.
Future Activities:
Year two of this project will include data analysis, planning for the summer 2001 field season, planning of remote sensing flights, and, in summer 2001, year two field data collection and remote sensing overflights. Summer field data collection will include: (1) collection of additional stream geomorphic, riparian and macroinvertebrate data at watersheds not sampled in 2000, (2) resampling of some 2000 sites to validate the stream geomorphic and riparian data, and (3) collection of a second years stream macroinvertebrate data at sites sampled in 2000. Data from summer 2000 are being entered into data bases that will allow preliminary cross-comparisons of watersheds, multivariate analysis of environmental influences of watershed alterations on downstream systems, and comparison of hyperspectral imagery data with selected "indicators" of ecosystem integrity of streams and riparian systems.Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 14 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
watersheds, stream geomorphology, riparian vegetation, stream macroinvertebrates, remote sensing, hyperspectral imagery, indicators, scaling, Upper Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Hydrology, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Northwest, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Environmental Monitoring, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, Ecological Indicators, ecological exposure, anthropogenic stresses, biological activity, remote sensing, scaling, logging, watersheds, sediment, stream ecosystems, survey, ecosystem indicators, recreational home development, multiscale assessmentProgress 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.