T O P I C 7 – E N V I R O N M E N TA L M O N I T O R I N G

INTERACTIONS IN ECOSYSTEMS

MONITORING

• Ecosystem Monitoring• Check the condition of an environment by comparing

current information with previous information

• Most famous example?• CO2

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

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

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

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?

Thanks!Yay

Thanks!

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

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

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