SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Ecosystem Health”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

USGS2024

How well do existing surveys track fish community performance measures in the St. Clair-Detroit River System?

The St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) connects Lake Huron to Lake Erie and provides important habitats for many fishes of economic and ecological importance. Portions of the SCDRS are designated as Great Lakes Areas of Concern and fish production and conservation may be compromised. Efforts to address beneficial use impairments have focused on restoring habitat for native fishes and improving aquatic ecosystem health. Considerable site-specific research and long-term, annual fish surveys have examined responses to habitat improvements. However, there is uncertainty surrounding whether individual studies and surveys can assess (1) population-level benefits of habitat enhancements and (2) whether management objectives are being met. To identify monitoring gaps and inform long-term monitoring program development, we compared outputs from SCDRS fish monitoring surveys (based on discussions with regional agencies) with performance measures specified in management plans (obtained through gray literature searches). Performance measures for harvested species aligned well with outputs of existing surveys. In contrast, at-risk fishes often had objectives and performance measures that reflected knowledge gaps and study needs. Although harvested species were well-monitored relative to specified performance measures, at-risk fishes were less reliably collected by existing surveys, except for lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens . Effective evaluation of restoration efforts for at-risk fishes may require additional survey efforts that target species-specific habitat use and life history characteristics.

Michigan↗

USGS2016

A landscape-scale assessment of above- and belowground primary production in coastal wetlands: Implications for climate change-induced community shifts

Above- and belowground production in coastal wetlands are important contributors to carbon accumulation and ecosystem sustainability. As sea level rises, we can expect shifts to more salt-tolerant communities, which may alter these ecosystem functions and services. Although the direct influence of salinity on species-level primary production has been documented, we lack an understanding of the landscape-level response of coastal wetlands to increasing salinity. What are the indirect effects of sea-level rise, i.e., how does primary production vary across a landscape gradient of increasing salinity that incorporates changes in wetland type? This is the first study to measure both above- and belowground production in four wetland types that span an entire coastal gradient from fresh to saline wetlands. We hypothesized that increasing salinity would limit rates of primary production, and saline marshes would have lower rates of above- and belowground production than fresher marshes. However, along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast in Louisiana, USA, we found that aboveground production was highest in brackish marshes, compared with fresh, intermediate, and saline marshes, and belowground production was similar among all wetland types along the salinity gradient. Multiple regression analysis indicated that salinity was the only significant predictor of production, and its influence was dependent upon wetland type. We concluded that (1) salinity had a negative effect on production within wetland type, and this relationship was strongest in the fresh marsh (0–2 PSU) and (2) along the overall landscape gradient, production was maintained by mechanisms at the scale of wetland type, which were likely related to plant energetics. Regardless of wetland type, we found that belowground production was significantly greater than aboveground production. Additionally, inter-annual variation, associated with severe drought conditions, was observed exclusively for belowground production, which may be a more sensitive indicator of ecosystem health than aboveground production.

Estuaries and Coasts↗

USGS2018

Using turbidity measurements to estimate total phosphorus and sediment flux in a Great Lakes coastal wetland

Coastal wetlands around the Laurentian Great Lakes in North America have the potential to intercept surface water coming off of the landscape and reduce the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the lakes. However, extensive coastal wetland areas have been isolated behind dikes and thus have limited interaction with nutrient-rich waters that contribute to harmful algal blooms and other water-quality issues. In this study, we developed a method to use high-frequency measurements of discharge and turbidity to estimate sediment and total phosphorus retention in a hydrologically reconnected coastal wetland. We found sediment and total phosphorus retention to be episodic and highly related to fluctuations in water level. Low water levels in Lake Erie in late 2012 resulted in low retention in the wetland, but sediment and total phosphorus retention increased as water levels rose in the first half of 2013. Overall, the reconnected wetland was a sink for both total phosphorus and suspended sediment and locally reduced phosphorus loading rates to Lake Erie. Additional wetland reconnection projects have the potential to further reduce phosphorus and sediment loading rates, which could improve local water quality and ecosystem health.

Ohio↗

USGS2022

From data to interpretable models: Machine learning for soil moisture forecasting

Soil moisture is critical to agricultural business, ecosystem health, and certain hydrologically driven natural disasters. Monitoring data, though, is prone to instrumental noise, wide ranging extrema, and nonstationary response to rainfall where ground conditions change. Furthermore, existing soil moisture models generally forecast poorly for time periods greater than a few hours. To improve such forecasts, we introduce two data-driven models, the Naive Accumulative Representation (NAR) and the Additive Exponential Accumulative Representation (AEAR). Both of these models are rooted in deterministic, physically based hydrology, and we study their capabilities in forecasting soilmoisture over time periods longer than a fewhours. Learned model parameters represent the physically based unsaturated hydrological redistribution processes of gravity and suction. We validate our models using soil moisture and rainfall time series data collected from a steep gradient, post-wildfire site in southern California. Data analysis is complicated by rapid landscape change observed in steep, burned hillslopes in response to even small to moderate rain events. The proposed NAR and AEAR models are, in forecasting experiments, shown to be competitive with several established and state-of-the-art baselines. The AEAR model fits the data well for three distinct soil textures at variable depths below the ground surface (5, 15, and 30 cm). Similar robust results are demonstrated in controlled, laboratory-based experiments. Our AEAR model includes readily interpretable hydrologic parameters and provides more accurate forecasts than existing models for time horizons of 10–24 h. Such extended periods of warning for natural disasters, such as floods and landslides, provide actionable knowledge to reduce loss of life and property.

International Journal of Data Science and Analytic↗

USGS2005

Pressurized liquid extraction using water/isopropanol coupled with solid-phase extraction cleanup for semivolatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and alkylated PAH homolog groups in sediment

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are recognized as environmentally relevant for their potential adverse effects on human and ecosystem health. This paper describes a method to determine the distribution of PAH and alkylated homolog groups in sediment samples. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), coupled with solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup, was developed to decrease sample preparation time, to reduce solvent consumption, and to minimize background interferences for full-scan GC-MS analysis. Recoveries from spiked Ottawa sand, environmental stream sediment, and commercially available topsoil, fortified at 1.5-15 ??g per compound, averaged 94.6 ?? 7.8%, 90.7 ?? 5.8% and 92.8 ?? 12.8%, respectively. Initial method detection limits for single-component compounds ranged from 20 to 302 ??g/kg, based on 25 g samples. Results from 28 environmental sediment samples, excluding homologs, show 35 of 41 compounds (85.4%) were detected in at least one sample with concentrations ranging from 20 to 100,000 ??g/kg. The most frequently detected compound, 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, was detected in 23 of the 28 (82%) environmental samples with a concentration ranging from 15 to 907 ??g/kg. The results from the 28 environmental sediment samples for the homolog series showed that 27 of 28 (96%) samples had at least one homolog series present at concentrations ranging from 20 to 89,000 ??g/kg. The most frequently detected homolog series, C2-alkylated naphthalene, was detected in 26 of the 28 (93%) environmental samples with a concentration ranging from 25 to 3900 ??g/kg. Results for a standard reference material using dichloromethane Soxhlet-based extraction also are compared. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analytica Chimica Acta↗

USGS2009

Geochemistry of soils along a transect from Central Mexico to the Pacific Coast: a pilot study for continental-scale geochemical mapping

The Mexican Geological Survey (SGM), the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI) and the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi (UASLP) have established a multidisciplinary team with the objective of creating a national program of geochemical mapping of soils in Mexico. This is being done as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project in partnership with the US Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada. As the first step, a pilot study was conducted over a transect that extends from the Mexico–US border near Ciudad Juarez in the north to the Pacific Ocean in the south. This pilot transect was conducted in two phases, and this paper presents results from the first phase, which sampled soils at about a 40-km spacing along a 730-km transect beginning in Central Mexico and ending at the Pacific Coast. Samples were collected from the A and C horizons at each site and 60 elements were analyzed. This pilot study demonstrates that geochemical mapping based on a 40-km spacing is adequate to identify broad-scale geochemical patterns. Geologic influence (i.e., soil parent material) was the most important factor influencing the distribution of elements along the transect, followed by the influence of regional mineralization. The study also showed that influence by human activities over the transect is minimal except possibly in large mining districts. A comparison of element abundance in the A horizon with the environmental soil guidelines in Mexico showed that the natural concentrations of the studied soils were lower than the established threshold for soil restoration with the exception of V and As. The former had a median value (75 mg/kg) approximately equal to the value established in Mexico for soil restoration in agricultural and residential lands (78 mg/kg), and the latter had three values higher than the 22 mg/kg threshold for soil restoration in agricultural and residential lands. These cases demonstrate the importance of knowing the national- and regional-scale geochemistry of Mexican soils as a support for the decision-making process, particularly for the proper formulation and application of soil guidelines designed to protect human and ecosystem health.

Applied Geochemistry↗

USGS2014

Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects

Fire transforms fuels (i.e. biomass, necromass, soil organic matter) into materials with different chemical and physical properties. One of these materials is ash, which is the particulate residue remaining or deposited on the ground that consists of mineral materials and charred organic components. The quantity and characteristics of ash produced during a wildland fire depend mainly on (1) the total burned fuel (i.e. fuel load), (2) fuel type and (3) its combustion completeness. For a given fuel load and type, a higher combustion completeness will reduce the ash organic carbon content, increasing the relative mineral content, and hence reducing total mass of ash produced. The homogeneity and thickness of the ash layer can vary substantially in space and time and reported average thicknesses range from close to 0 to 50 mm. Ash is a highly mobile material that, after its deposition, may be incorporated into the soil profile, redistributed or removed from a burned site within days or weeks by wind and water erosion to surface depressions, footslopes, streams, lakes, reservoirs and, potentially, into marine deposits. Research on the composition, properties and effects of ash on the burned ecosystem has been conducted on material collected in the field after wildland and prescribed fires as well as on material produced in the laboratory. At low combustion completeness (typically T < 450 °C), ash is organic-rich, with organic carbon as the main component. At high combustion completeness (T > 450 °C), most organic carbon is volatized and the remaining mineral ash has elevated pH when in solution. It is composed mainly of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, silicon and phosphorous in the form of inorganic carbonates, whereas at T > 580 °C the most common forms are oxides. Ash produced under lower combustion completeness is usually darker, coarser, and less dense and has a higher saturated hydraulic conductivity than ash with higher combustion completeness, although physical reactions with CO 2 and when moistened produce further changes in ash characteristics. As a new material present after a wildland fire, ash can have profound effects on ecosystems. It affects biogeochemical cycles, including the C cycle, not only within the burned area, but also globally. Ash incorporated into the soil increases temporarily soil pH and nutrient pools and changes physical properties such as albedo, soil texture and hydraulic properties including water repellency. Ash modifies soil hydrologic behavior by creating a two-layer system: the soil and the ash layer, which can function in different ways depending on (1) ash depth and type, (2) soil type and (3) rainfall characteristics. Key parameters are the ash's water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity and its potential to clog soil pores. Runoff from burned areas carries soluble nutrients contained in ash, which can lead to problems for potable water supplies. Ash deposition also stimulates soil microbial activity and vegetation growth. Further work is needed to (1) standardize methods for investigating ash and its effects on the ecosystem, (2) characterize ash properties for specific ecosystems and wildland fire types, (3) determine the effects of ash on human and ecosystem health, especially when transported by wind or water, (4) investigate ash's controls on water and soil losses at slope and catchment scales, (5) examine its role in the C cycle, and (6) study its redistribution and fate in the environment.

Earth-Science Reviews↗

USGS2023

Flushing time variability in a short, low-inflow estuary

Flushing time, the time scale for exchange and mixing between embayed and oceanic waters in an estuary, plays an integral role in determining water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of flushing times throughout Morro Bay, a short, low-inflow estuary (LIE) on the California coast, using a calibrated and validated hydrodynamic model (Delft3D). Morro Bay has historically supported an extensive eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) habitat, which declined substantially from 139 to 5.4 ha during 2007–2017. Eelgrass decline motivated the current research into the role of changing bed roughness and oceanic drivers (i.e., tide and sea-level rise) on estuarine hydrodynamics and flushing times. We found that tidal variability exerts the strongest control on flushing times compared to other effects, i.e., bed roughness or sea-level rise. Additionally, we found that increasing sea level and decreasing bed roughness (associated with declining seagrass coverage) yielded higher rates of mixing (lower flushing times). We detected a strong correspondence between areas having shorter flushing times (e.g., near the estuary mouth) and areas occupied by resilient eelgrass populations in Morro Bay. Our findings further indicated that flushing times in short LIEs are particularly sensitive to several factors (e.g., bed roughness, sea level) that are susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance and future climate change.

California↗

USGS2021

Mercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh

Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in mammalian predators can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. We examined mercury concentrations of raccoons ( Procyon lotor; n = 37 individuals) and striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ; n = 87 individuals) in Suisun Marsh, California, a large brackish marsh that is characterized by contiguous tracts of tidal marsh and seasonally impounded wetlands. Mean (standard error; range) total mercury concentrations in adult hair grown from 2015 to 2018 were 28.50 μg/g dw (3.05 μg/g dw; range: 4.46 – 81.01 μg/g dw) in raccoons and 4.85 μg/g dw (0.54 μg/g dw; range: 1.52 – 27.02 μg/g dw) in striped skunks. We reviewed mammalian hair mercury concentrations in the literature and raccoon mercury concentrations in Suisun Marsh were among the highest observed for wild mammals. Although striped skunk hair mercury concentrations were 83% lower than raccoons, they were higher than proposed background levels for mercury in mesopredator hair (1 – 5 μg/g). Hair mercury concentrations in skunks and raccoons were not related to animal size, but mercury concentrations were higher in skunks in poorer body condition. Large inter-annual differences in hair mercury concentrations suggest that methylmercury exposure to mammalian predators varied among years. Mercury concentrations of raccoon hair grown in 2017 were 2.7 times greater than hair grown in 2015, 1.7 times greater than hair grown in 2016, and 1.6 times greater than hair grown in 2018. Annual mean raccoon and skunk hair mercury concentrations increased with wetland habitat area. Furthermore, during 2017, raccoon hair mercury concentrations increased with the proportion of raccoon home ranges that was wetted habitat, as quantified using global positioning system (GPS) collars. The elevated mercury concentrations we observed in raccoons and skunks suggest that other wildlife at similar or higher trophic positions may also be exposed to elevated methylmercury bioaccumulation in brackish marshes.

California↗

USGS2021

Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians

Amphibian larvae are commonly used as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health because they are susceptible to contaminants. However, there is limited information on how species characteristics and trophic position influence contaminant loads in larval amphibians. Importantly, there remains a need to understand whether grazers (frogs and toads [anurans]) and predators (salamanders) provide comparable information on contaminant accumulation or if they are each indicative of unique environmental processes and risks. To better understand the role of trophic position in contaminant accumulation, we analyzed composite tissues for 10 metals from larvae of multiple co-occurring anuran and salamander species from 20 wetlands across the United States. We examined how metal concentrations varied with body size (anurans and salamanders) and developmental stage (anurans) and how the digestive tract (gut) influenced observed metal concentrations. Across all wetlands, metal concentrations were greater in anurans than salamanders for all metals tested except mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn). Concentrations of individual metals in anurans decreased with increasing weight and developmental stage. In salamanders, metal concentrations were less correlated with weight, indicating diet played a role in contaminant accumulation. Based on batches of similarly sized whole-body larvae compared to larvae with their digestive tracts removed, our results indicated that tissue type strongly affected perceived concentrations, especially for anurans (gut represented an estimated 46–97% of all metals except Se and Zn). This suggests the reliability of results based on whole-body sampling could be biased by metal, larval size, and development. Overall, our data shows that metal concentrations differs between anurans and salamanders, which suggests that metal accumulation is unique to feeding behavior and potentially trophic position. To truly characterize exposure risk in wetlands, species of different life histories, sizes and developmental stages should be included in biomonitoring efforts.

Environmental Pollution↗

USGS2011

Preface: Multiscale feedbacks in ecogeomorphology

Geomorphic systems are known to exhibit nonlinear responses to physical–biological feedbacks (Thornes, 1985; Baas, 2002; Reinhardt et al., 2010). These responses make understanding and/or predicting system response to change highly challenging. With growing concerns over ecosystem health, a pressing need exists for research that tries to elucidate these feedbacks (Jerolmack, 2008; Darby, 2010; National Research Council, 2010). A session was convened at the Fall 2008 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to provide an outlet for some of this truly interdisciplinary and original research, which is central to understanding geomorphic and ecological dynamics. The session attracted over 39 contributions, which were divided into two well-attended oral sessions and a very busy poster session. This special issue presents new research from the AGU session, which highlights clear physical–biological feedbacks. The aim is to bring together contrasting perspectives on biological and geomorphic feedbacks in a diversity of physiographic settings, ranging from wetlands and estuaries, through rivers, to uplands. These papers highlight biological and physical feedbacks which involve the modulation or amplification of geomorphic processes. These papers will be of interest to a core geomorphology audience, and should also draw attention from the fields of ecohydraulics, hydroecology, ecohydrology, ecomorphology, biogeochemistry and biogeography, and biogeomorphology as well as the more traditional fields of hydrology, ecology and biology. In this preface to the special issue, we a) review past contributions to the emerging field of ecogeomorphology and related disciplines, b) provide some context for how this topical special issue came to fruition, and c) summarize the contributions to this special issue.

Geomorphology↗

USGS2010

Metrics of ecosystem status for large aquatic systems: a global comparison

We identified an objective set of 25 commonly available ecosystem metrics applicable across the world's large continental freshwater and brackish aquatic ecosystem. These metrics measure trophic structure, exploited species, habitat alteration, and catchment changes. We used long-term trends in these metrics as indicators of perturbations that represent an ecosystem not in homeostasis. We defined a healthy ecosystem as being in a homeostatic state; therefore, ecosystems with many changing trends were defined as more disturbed than ecosystems with fewer changing trends. Healthy ecosystems (lakes Baikal, Superior, and Tanganyika) were large, deep lakes in relatively unpopulated areas with no signs of eutrophication and no changes to their trophic structure. Disturbed ecosystems (lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Victoria) had shallow to moderately deep basins with high watershed population pressure and intense agricultural and residential land use. Transitioning systems had widely varying trends and faced increasing anthropogenic pressures. Standardized methodologies for capturing data could improve our understanding of the current state of these ecosystems and allow for comparisons of the response of large aquatic ecosystems to local and global stressors thereby providing more reliable insights into future changes in ecosystem health.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2016

Value-focused framework for defining landscape-scale conservation targets

Conservation of natural resources can be challenging in a rapidly changing world and require collaborative efforts for success. Conservation planning is the process of deciding how to protect, conserve, and enhance or minimize loss of natural and cultural resources. Establishing conservation targets (also called indicators or endpoints), the measurable expressions of desired resource conditions, can help with site-specific up to landscape-scale conservation planning. Using conservation targets and tracking them through time can deliver benefits such as insight into ecosystem health and providing early warnings about undesirable trends. We describe an approach using value-focused thinking to develop statewide conservation targets for Florida. Using such an approach allowed us to first identify stakeholder objectives and then define conservation targets to meet those objectives. Stakeholders were able to see how their shared efforts fit into the broader conservation context, and also anticipate the benefits of multi-agency and -organization collaboration. We developed an iterative process for large-scale conservation planning that included defining a shared framework for the process, defining the conservation targets themselves, as well as developing management and monitoring strategies for evaluation of their effectiveness. The process we describe is applicable to other geographies where multiple parties are seeking to implement collaborative, large-scale biological planning.

Journal for Nature Conservation↗

USGS2023

HABs and HAB nots: Dynamics of phytoplankton blooms across similar oligotrophic reservoirs

Increasing frequency and intensity of cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) threaten human and aquatic ecosystem health. Improving our understanding of HABs across a range of systems will be critical to understanding and potentially minimizing risk, especially where HABs are occurring in less productive and less studied waterbodies. Here, the characteristics and annual dynamics of phytoplankton communities were examined, focusing on the timing, magnitude, and predictability of cyanobacterial blooms in five multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs from the Willamette Basin, Oregon, USA. A high similarity in phytoplankton composition and consistency in the timing of cyanobacterial dominance was hypothesized to occur across these oligotrophic reservoirs. However, periods of dominance by potentially HABs producing genera were inconsistent both in their timing and abundances among reservoirs and across years within each reservoir. The lack of regional predictability indicates the importance of local drivers in the formation, intensity, and composition of phytoplankton blooms. These findings have important implications for reservoir management and safeguarding freshwater drinking sources, as not all reservoirs appear to experience cyanobacterial blooms at the same time, demonstrating non-concurrent risks of HABs.

Limnologica - Ecology and Management of Inland Wat↗

USGS2016

Regional assessment of persistent organic pollutants in resident mussels from New Jersey and New York estuaries following Hurricane Sandy

Resident mussels are effective indicators of ecosystem health and have been utilized in national assessment and monitoring studies for over two decades. Mussels were chosen because contaminant concentrations in their tissues respond to changes in ambient environmental levels, accumulation occurs with little metabolic transformation and a substantial amount of historic data were available. Mussels were collected from 10 previously studied locations approximately a year after Hurricane Sandy. Regionally, concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decreased significantly, while concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) remained unchanged, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) increased compared to historic concentrations. Although concentrations of PCBs, OCPs and PAHs were at or near record low concentrations, long-term trends did not change after Hurricane Sandy. To effectively measure storm-induced impacts it is necessary to understand the factors influencing changes in mussel body burdens and have a long-term monitoring network and an ability to mobilize post event.

New Jersey, New York↗

USGS2025

Refining PAH and PCB bioavailability predictions in industrial sediments using source-fingerprinting, particle size, and bulk carbon, Puget Sound, Washington

Nearshore marine sediments in a Puget Sound, Washington industrial embayment had elevated levels of PAHs, PCBs and DDTs. Chemical fingerprints implicated nearshore sources including creosote, industrial oil and tar waste, and a landfill. Elevated concentrations were confined to an approximate 300-m shoreline buffer in the industrial waterfront, suggesting high site fidelity and limited along-shore or off-shore transport. Total PAH concentrations approximately doubled when including alkylated compounds. The industrial sediments often exceeded toxicity criteria; however, chemicals were likely less bioavailable than predicted, in part, due to assumed strong sorption to anthropogenic carbon like coal tar. Analyses of separated particle-size fractions showed that approximately half of PAHs were associated with particles greater than 500 μm, suggesting that a wide range of particle sizes are relevant to occurrence and transport. Predicted freely dissolved chemical concentrations in sediment pore water were unrealistically high using a bulk organic carbon sorption coefficient. When reduced to environmentally reasonable levels by applying a high-sorption partition coefficient applicable to contaminated sediments, predicted freely dissolved concentrations in some industrial sediments exceeded sublethal effect levels or surface water quality standards. Chemical assemblages predicted in the freely dissolved aqueous fraction, which is relevant for biotic uptake from water, shifted to predominantly low molecular weight as compared to sediment, highlighting the role of exposure pathways in bioavailability. Insights from chemical fingerprinting coupled with co-analysis of bulk carbon and grain size allowed refinement of bioavailability assessments of complex chemical mixtures in contaminated nearshore environments that are relevant for ecosystem health and restoration.

Washington↗

USGS2017

Enhancing wind erosion monitoring and assessment for U.S. rangelands

On the Ground Wind erosion is a major resource concern for rangeland managers because it can impact soil health, ecosystem structure and function, hydrologic processes, agricultural production, and air quality. Despite its significance, little is known about which landscapes are eroding, by how much, and when. The National Wind Erosion Research Network was established in 2014 to develop tools for monitoring and assessing wind erosion and dust emissions across the United States. The Network, currently consisting of 13 sites, creates opportunities to enhance existing rangeland soil, vegetation, and air quality monitoring programs. Decision-support tools developed by the Network will improve the prediction and management of wind erosion across rangeland ecosystems.

Rangelands↗

USGS2020

Transitioning from change detection to monitoring with remote sensing: A paradigm shift

The use of time series analysis with moderate resolution satellite imagery is increasingly common, particularly since the advent of freely available Landsat data. Dense time series analysis is providing new information on the timing of landscape changes, as well as improving the quality and accuracy of information being derived from remote sensing. Perhaps most importantly, time series analysis is expanding the kinds of land surface change that can be monitored using remote sensing. In particular, more subtle changes in ecosystem health and condition and related to land use dynamics are being monitored. The result is a paradigm shift away from change detection, typically using two points in time, to monitoring, or an attempt to track change continuously in time. This trend holds many benefits, including the promise of near real-time monitoring. Anticipated future trends include more use of multiple sensors in monitoring activities, increased focus on the temporal accuracy of results, applications over larger areas and operational usage of time series analysis.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗