Grantee Research Project Results
2002 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
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, 2002 through June 30, 2003
Project Amount: $868,242
RFA: Ecological Indicators (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
Natural resource extraction, other human activities, and natural perturbations such as fire have altered most watersheds throughout the Rocky Mountains. 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 watershed. If stream and riparian systems are altered by watershed outputs, then characteristics of these systems might be useful as indicators of the watershed condition.
The objectives of this research project are to: (1) test the hypothesis that stream and riparian parameters may be indicators of watershed condition; and (2) bring the power of new technologies of hyperspectral imagery and other forms of remote sensing to bear on identifying these indicators. Research emphasizes both the search for indicators and an understanding of ecosystem processes that result in indicator condition. Several watersheds in the Upper Yellowstone River basin have been selected to measure stream geomorphology, riparian vegetational communities, and stream macroinvertebrate communities to determine ecosystem conditions that may be associated with watershed changes. Timbering, grazing, or fire have altered most selected watersheds, while a few were still relatively pristine. Forty-two watershed parameters, including levels of landscape alteration, have been identified with LANDSAT and orthophoto imagery. These parameters are being used to test associations with attributes of stream geomorphology, riparian communities, and aquatic biota.
Progress Summary:
Determining when natural rivers become unstable is a useful restoration and land management tool and relates to watershed characteristics. Spatial distributions of bank failure in tributary watersheds are characteristic of self-organized critical systems. The presence of such systems suggests that local human alterations designed to increase channel stability will only encourage and amplify systemwide, low-frequency large failures. In response to large-scale wild land fire, streams became more powerful and net incision was the primary response in second- to fourth-order streams. The spatial distributions of stream power and bank failure indicate a fundamental linkage between watershed condition and fluvial processes.
Based on the premise that multiscale spatial and temporal processes have created countless floodplain environments, we identified two potential watershed condition change indicators related to the riparian systems: (1) riparian connectivity; and (2) herbaceous community characteristics. Riparian connectivity, the response of riparian vegetation to fluvial processes, showed basin-specific patterns at watershed and reach scales. Vegetation responses indicated autogenic successional processes in entrenched systems and a variety of allogenic processes in actively migrating systems. Compositional analysis of patch communities in multiple watersheds determined that herbaceous vegetation was indicative of past and present fluvial environments. Thus, the responsiveness of herbaceous vegetation to varying fluvial processes and riparian connectivity may serve as good indicators of watershed condition change.
Aquatic ecological variables are being used to validate the relative pristine or altered nature of the watershed. Initial analysis of macroinvertebrate, physical, and chemical data has been completed, and the data are beginning to be used to evaluate potential impacts relative to conditions found at pristine reference sites or upstream versus downstream of the entrance of an impacted tributary. Analysis of macroinvertebrate data using multivariate techniques (principal components analysis and canonical correlation analysis) is being used to evaluate correspondence with watershed and stream/riparian corridor measures. Macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups and possible indicator taxa or metrics are being examined for their ability to detect local- and watershed-scale conditions.
In 2002, substantial progress was made on the remote sensing and spatial analysis aspects of this research project. Examination of the ability of hyperspectral imaging to identify stream geomorphic units in an unsupervised, computer-automated approach highlighted the need for a point-based approach to ground referencing fine-scale imagery. Collection of hyperspectral images and ground data also was completed. The relationship between the imagery and various parameters that vary among stream geomorphic units such as surface roughness, turbidity, depth, and cobble size is being evaluated. Detailed design for analysis of the relation between remotely sensed stream geomorphology and watershed condition is ongoing.
The interdisciplinary nature of this research project presented many directions for analysis. Assessment of individual watershed processes demonstrated the importance of each in determining watershed condition. As the end of this research project approaches, priorities will be given to analyses and the development of techniques that integrate watershed processes and state variables. An essential part of consolidating and utilizing the data collected during the past few years will be an emphasis on the capabilities of remote sensing as a tool for determining indicators of watershed condition. Identifying small- and large-scale indicators of watershed condition, coupled with the ability to measure these indicators using remote sensing techniques, may offer land managers a comprehensive means for monitoring and managing resources at multiple scales.
Future Activities:
We will continue to: (1) test the hypothesis that stream and riparian parameters may be indicators of watershed condition; and (2) bring the power of new technologies of hyperspectral imagery and other forms of remote sensing to bear on identifying these indicators.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 14 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
sediments, aquatic, habitat, integrated, assessment, Northwest., RFA, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecological Indicators, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecosystem Protection, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Northwest, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Hydrology, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Monitoring, agriculture ecosystems, stream ecosystems, multiscale assessment, ecosystem indicators, biological activity, remote sensing, scaling, ecological exposure, anthropogenic stresses, sediment, survey, logging, recreational home developmentProgress 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.