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Results for “Environmental and Sustainability Indicators”

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USGS2017

The role of the North American Breeding Bird Survey in conservation

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was established in 1966 in response to a lack of quantitative data on changes in the populations of many bird species at a continental scale, especially songbirds. The BBS now provides the most reliable regional and continental trends and annual indices of abundance available for >500 bird species. This paper reviews some of the ways in which BBS data have contributed to bird conservation in North America over the past 50 yr, and highlights future program enhancement opportunities. BBS data have contributed to the listing of species under the Canadian Species at Risk Act and, in a few cases, have informed species assessments under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. By raising awareness of population changes, the BBS has helped to motivate bird conservation efforts through the creation of Partners in Flight. BBS data have been used to determine priority species and locations for conservation action at regional and national scales through Bird Conservation Region strategies and Joint Ventures. Data from the BBS have provided the quantitative foundation for North American State of the Birds reports, and have informed the public with regard to environmental health through multiple indicators, such as the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Report on the Environment. BBS data have been analyzed with other data (e.g., environmental, land cover, and demographic) to evaluate potential drivers of population change, which have then informed conservation actions. In a few cases, BBS data have contributed to the evaluation of management actions, including informing the management of Mourning Doves ( Zenaida macroura ), Wood Ducks ( Aix sponsa ), and Golden Eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ). Improving geographic coverage in northern Canada and in Mexico, improving the analytical approaches required to integrate data from other sources and to address variation in detectability, and completing the database, by adding historical bird data at each point count location and pinpointing the current point count locations would further enhance the survey's value.

Condor↗

USGS2018

A model for the evaluation of environmental impact indicators for a sustainable maritime transportation systems

Maritime shipping is considered the most efficient, low-cost means for transporting large quantities of freight over significant distances. However, this process also causes negative environmental and societal impacts. Therefore, environmental sustainability is a pressing issue for maritime shipping management, given the interest in addressing important issues that affect the safety, security, and air and water quality as part of the efficient movement of freight throughout the coasts and waterways and associated port facilities worldwide. In-depth studies of maritime transportation systems (MTS) can be used to identify key environmental impact indicators within the transportation system. This paper develops a tool for decision making in complex environments; this tool will quantify and rank preferred environmental impact indicators within a MTS. Such a model will help decision-makers to achieve the goals of improved environmental sustainability. The model will also provide environmental policy-makers in the shipping industry with an analytical tool that can evaluate tradeoffs within the system and identify possible alternatives to mitigate detrimental effects on the environment.

Frontiers of Engineering Management↗

USGS2026

A weight-of-evidence system for integrating monitoring and environmental indicators to guide biological conservation and resource management of native taxa

Many state and federal environmental management agencies are charged with using data-driven evidence to conserve and restore threatened and endangered species that are adversely impacted by humans. Yet, statistical analyses of available environmental indicator data do not always promote unambiguous, ecologically-meaningful, evidence-based decisions for managing native biota. Here we modified our multi-step quantitative adaptive management framework to identify natural and anthropogenic environmental indicators that maintain or threaten native species. In a proof-of-concept example, we quantified how three native stream fish taxa responded to nine environmental indicators based on three criteria (i.e., statistical significance, ecological relevance, and agreement with expectations). The resulting Weight of Evidence (WoE) integration identified five groups of indicators, clarified ambiguous trends, and identified promising future directions that would not have emerged from examining a single analysis or a single taxon alone. Our evaluation and categorization of environmental indicators established the biological foundation on which multi-disciplinary sustainability rests. Our research contribution demonstrates how following a structured integration framework can lead to novel insights that benefit conservation across organisms and systems even when employing relatively simple analytical techniques. Our results address the following often ignored questions: How do we systematically link together different analytical components of the same larger problems? How do we ecologically integrate similar and dissimilar results across analyses? How can we identify generalities by comparing multiple taxa?

Kansas↗

USGS2025

Wetland hydrologic dynamics and duck productivity are declining in the Prairie Pothole Region, and they are linked

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is a globally important area hosting >50 % of North America’s breeding ducks. Ducks in the PPR depend on wetlands and grasslands which have experienced accelerated losses in extent and quality due to agriculture. While other bird populations have declined, duck abundance reached record highs recently (2013–2017). We explored this discontinuity by examining monitoring data for trends in pond numbers (wetlands with ponded water) and interannual dynamics (water-level dynamics indexed by interannual change in pond numbers) and how those factors influenced duck productivity in the PPR during 1976–2019. Over time, pond numbers increased but their interannual dynamics declined, indicating stabilization of an ecosystem evolved with a dynamic climate. Our models accounted for 67 and 71 % of variation in productivity of PPR-obligate gadwall ( Mareca strepera ) and redheads ( Aythya americana ), respectively. Breeding productivity of these sentinel species was positively correlated with pond abundance and dynamics, and systematically declined. Accordingly, our analyses revealed sensitivity of breeding ducks to systematic change in the PPR previously obscured by increasingly abundant pond numbers. Interannual pond dynamics improved duck productivity and pond dynamics have declined indicating a de facto 44-year decline in duck productivity which is likely driven by water-level stabilization decreasing quality of brood-rearing wetlands. Residual temporal effects indicated that productivity has also declined for other reasons, such as agricultural land use changes. While mechanisms behind these correlations are speculative, they demonstrate the importance of further understanding land use and climate changes in the PPR for conservation of these important species and ecosystems.

Alberta, Iowa, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, North↗

USGS2025

Comparing SMART and ELECTRE methods for multi-criteria decision analysis: A case study evaluating conservation strategies

Tradeoffs are part of the inherent challenge of making decisions. Defaulting to a prevalent method can mask methodological variation and potential improvement in decision quality. We applied and compared methods for multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in real-world environmental planning. Decision makers at a global conservation organization formed teams to review and prioritize the allocation of resources across a set of existing strategies across seven teams. Each team evaluated and rated strategies based on a common scale composed of weighted objectives and criteria. Sensitivity analysis included implementing two different MCDA methods, varying strategy ratings, and using two different criteria weighting techniques. The MCDA methods were SMART (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique) and ELECTRE (ELimination and Choice Expressing The REality). We tested user satisfaction between methods, overall rankings between methods, and whether MCDA improved the decision-making process. The methods did not differ in most comparisons, although participants were more likely to use the SMART method in future tradeoff decisions. We found evidence of rank correlation between methods. Lastly, the teams’ final recommendations were consistent with MCDA results. This study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of MCDA in real-world applications.

Environmental and Sustainability Indicators↗

USGS2017

Improved crop residue cover estimates obtained by coupling spectral indices for residue and moisture

Remote sensing assessment of crop residue cover ( f R ) and tillage intensity can improve predictions of the environmental impact of agricultural practices and promote sustainable management. Spectral indices for estimating f R are sensitive to soil and crop residue water contents, therefore the uncertainty of f R estimates increases when moisture conditions vary. Our goals were to evaluate the robustness of spectral residue indices based on the shortwave infrared region (SWIR) for estimating f R and to mitigate the uncertainty caused by variable moisture conditions on f R estimates. Ten fields with center pivot irrigation systems (eight partially irrigated and two uniformly dry fields) were identified in Worldview-3 satellite imagery acquired for a study site in Maryland (USA). The fields were mid-irrigation at the time of imagery acquisition, allowing comparison of residue cover under dry and wet conditions. Fields were subdivided into approximately equal-size wedges within the dry and wet portions of each field, and the SWIR bands were extracted for each pixel. Two crop residue indices (Normalized Difference Tillage Index (NDTI); Shortwave Infrared Normalized Difference Residue Index (SINDRI) and a water index (WI) were calculated. Reflectance in each band was moisture-adjusted based on the WI difference between wet and dry wedges, and updated NDTI and SINDRI were calculated. Finally, the probability density distributions of f R estimated from the residue indices were calculated for each field. SINDRI was more robust than NDTI for estimating f R . Moisture corrections of spectral bands reduced the root mean square error of NDTI f R estimates from 22.7% to 4.7%, and SINDRI f R estimates from 6.0% to 2.2%. The mean and variance of the probability density distribution of f R estimated from residue indices, before and after moisture correction, were greatly reduced in the partially irrigated fields, but only slightly in fields with uniform water distribution. The estimation of f R should be based on SINDRI if appropriate bands are available, but f R can be reliably estimated by combining NDTI with a water content index to mitigate the uncertainty caused by variable moisture conditions.

Maryland↗

USGS2003

Foreshore sand as a source of Escherichia coli in nearshore water of a Lake Michigan beach

Swimming advisories due to excessive Escherichia coli concentrations are common at 63rd Street Beach, Chicago, Ill. An intensive study was undertaken to characterize the source and fate of E. coli in beach water and sand at the beach. From April through September 2000, water and sand samples were collected daily or twice daily at two depths on three consecutive days per week (water samples, n = 1,747; sand samples, n = 858); hydrometeorological conditions and bird and bather distributions were also recorded. E. coli concentrations in sand and water were significantly correlated, with the highest concentration being found in foreshore sand, followed by those in submerged sediment and water of increasing depth. Gull contributions to E. coli densities in sand and water were most apparent on the day following gull activity in a given area. E. coli recolonized newly placed foreshore sand within 2 weeks. Analysis of variance, correlation, cluster analyses, concentration gradients, temporal-spatial distribution, demographic patterns, and DNA fingerprinting suggest that E. coli may be able to sustain population density in temperate beach sand during summer months without external inputs. This research presents evidence that foreshore beach sand (i) plays a major role in bacterial lake water quality, (ii) is an important non-point source of E. coli to lake water rather than a net sink, (iii) may be environmentally, and perhaps hygienically, problematic, and (iv) is possibly capable of supporting an autochthonous, high density of indicator bacteria for sustained periods, independent of lake, human, or animal input.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗

USGS2000

Strategic science plan Salton Sea restoration project

The Salton Sea is an ecosystem in peril. Its prehistory consists of a series of intermittent lakes dependent on infrequent flooding of the Colorado River, while the modern Salton Sea originated from the desire to harness the flow of the Colorado River for irrigation. What began as an accident of this attempt is now a permanent inland sea supported by wastewater and agricultural drainage rather than Colorado River flood flows. However, environmental degradation is challenging the ability of the Sea to sustain the biological components that society has learned to value as characteristics of this waterbody. Increasing salinity and increasing frequency and magnitude of wildlife losses indicate the Sea is under severe environmental stress. The Salton Sea Restoration Project originated to reverse this degradation, to stabilize fluctuating water levels, and to provide a permanent waterbody that sustains values of the human society that uses it. The project foundation is provided by Public Law (PL) 102-575, passed by Congress in 1992. PL 102-575 directs the Secretary of the Interior to "conduct a research project for the development of a method or combination of methods to reduce and control salinity, provide endangered species habitat, enhance fisheries, and protect human recreational values . . . in the area of the Salton Sea." That PL was followed by the Salton Sea Reclamation Act of 1998 (PL 105-372), which directs the Secretary of the Interior to "complete all studies, including, but not limited to environmental and other reviews, of the feasibility and benefit-cost of various options that permit the continued use of the Salton Sea."

Report↗

USGS2015

Quantifying water requirements of riparian river red gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis ) in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Implications for the management of environmental flows

Water resource development and drought have altered river flow regimes, increasing average flood return intervals across floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, causing health declines in riparian river red gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis ) forests and woodlands. Environmental flow allocations helped to alleviate water stress during the recent Millennium Drought (1997–2010), however, quantification of the flood frequency required to support healthy E. camaldulensis communities is still needed. We quantified water requirements of E. camaldulensis for two years across a flood gradient (trees inundated at frequencies of 1:2, 1:5 and 1:10 years) at Yanga National Park, New South Wales to help inform management decision-making and design of environmental flows. Sap flow, evaporative losses and soil moisture measurements were used to determine transpiration, evapotranspiration and plant-available soil water before and after flooding. A formula was developed using plant-available soil water post-flooding and average annual rainfall, to estimate maintenance time of soil water reserves in each flood frequency zone. Results indicated that soil water reserves could sustain 1:2 and 1:5 trees for 15 months and six years, respectively. Trees regulated their transpiration rates, allowing them to persist within their flood frequency zone, and showed reduction in active sapwood area and transpiration rates when flood frequencies exceeded 1:2 years. A leaf area index of 0.5 was identified as a potential threshold indicator of severe drought stress. Our results suggest environmental water managers may have greater flexibility to adaptively manage floodplains in order to sustain E. camaldulensis forests and woodlands than has been appreciated hitherto.

New South Wales↗

USGS2011

Projected evolution of California's San Francisco Bay-Delta-River System in a century of continuing climate change

Background Accumulating evidence shows that the planet is warming as a response to human emissions of greenhouse gases. Strategies of adaptation to climate change will require quantitative projections of how altered regional patterns of temperature, precipitation and sea level could cascade to provoke local impacts such as modified water supplies, increasing risks of coastal flooding, and growing challenges to sustainability of native species. Methodology/Principal Findings We linked a series of models to investigate responses of California's San Francisco Estuary-Watershed (SFEW) system to two contrasting scenarios of climate change. Model outputs for scenarios of fast and moderate warming are presented as 2010–2099 projections of nine indicators of changing climate, hydrology and habitat quality. Trends of these indicators measure rates of: increasing air and water temperatures, salinity and sea level; decreasing precipitation, runoff, snowmelt contribution to runoff, and suspended sediment concentrations; and increasing frequency of extreme environmental conditions such as water temperatures and sea level beyond the ranges of historical observations. Conclusions/Significance Most of these environmental indicators change substantially over the 21 st century, and many would present challenges to natural and managed systems. Adaptations to these changes will require flexible planning to cope with growing risks to humans and the challenges of meeting demands for fresh water and sustaining native biota. Programs of ecosystem rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation in coastal landscapes will be most likely to meet their objectives if they are designed from considerations that include: (1) an integrated perspective that river-estuary systems are influenced by effects of climate change operating on both watersheds and oceans; (2) varying sensitivity among environmental indicators to the uncertainty of future climates; (3) inevitability of biological community changes as responses to cumulative effects of climate change and other drivers of habitat transformations; and (4) anticipation and adaptation to the growing probability of ecosystem regime shifts.

California↗

USGS2010

Mortality of centrarchid fishes in the Potomac drainage: Survey results and overview of potential contributing factors

Skin lesions and spring mortality events of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu and selected other species were first noted in the South Branch of the Potomac River in 2002. Since that year morbidity and mortality have also been observed in the Shenandoah and Monocacy rivers. Despite much research, no single pathogen, parasite, or chemical cause for the lesions and mortality has been identified. Numerous parasites, most commonly trematode metacercariae and myxozoans; the bacterial pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila , Aeromonas salmonicida , and Flavobacterium columnare ; and largemouth bass virus have all been observed. None have been consistently isolated or observed at all sites, however, nor has any consistent microscopic pathology of the lesions been observed. A variety of histological changes associated with exposure to environmental contaminants or stressors, including intersex (testicular oocytes), high numbers of macrophage aggregates, oxidative damage, gill lesions, and epidermal papillomas, were observed. The findings indicate that selected sensitive species may be stressed by multiple factors and constantly close to the threshold between a sustainable (healthy) and nonsustainable (unhealthy) condition. Fish health is often used as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health, and these findings raise concerns about environmental degradation within the Potomac River drainage. Unfortunately, while much information has been gained from the studies conducted to date, due to the multiple state jurisdictions involved, competing interests, and other issues, there has been no coordinated approach to identifying and mitigating the stressors. This synthesis emphasizes the need for multiyear, interdisciplinary, integrative research to identify the underlying stressors and possible management actions to enhance ecosystem health.

Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia↗

USGS2018

Mapping cropland waterway buffers for switchgrass development in the eastern Great Plains, USA

Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), a highly productive perennial grass, has been recommended as one potential source for cellulosic biofuel feedstocks. Previous studies indicate that planting perennial grasses (e.g., switchgrass) in high‐topographic‐relief cropland waterway buffers can improve local environmental conditions and sustainability. The main advantages of this land management practice include (i) reducing soil erosion and improving water quality because switchgrass requires less tillage, fertilizers, and pesticides; and (ii) improving regional ecosystem services (e.g., improving water infiltration, minimizing drought and flood impacts on production, and serving as carbon sinks). In this study, we mapped high‐topographic‐relief cropland waterway buffers with high switchgrass productivity potential that may be suitable for switchgrass development in the eastern Great Plains (EGP). The US Geological Survey (USGS) Compound Topographic Index map, National Land Cover Database 2011, USGS irrigation map, and a switchgrass biomass productivity map derived from a previous study were used to identify the switchgrass potential areas. Results show that about 16 342 km 2 ( c . 1.3% of the total study area) of cropland waterway buffers in the EGP are potentially suitable for switchgrass development. The total annual estimated switchgrass biomass production for these suitable areas is approximately 15 million metric tons. Results from this study provide useful information on EGP areas with good cellulosic switchgrass biomass production potential and synergistic substantial potential for improvement of ecosystem services.

Great Plains↗

USGS2019

Guidance for assessing interregional ecoystem service flows

Ecosystem services (ES) assessments commonly focus on a specific biophysical region or nation and take its geographic borders as the system boundary. Most geographical regions are, however, not closed systems but are open and telecoupled with other regions through ES imports and exports, which are mediated by fluxes of matter, energy and information. Interregional ES flows are often linked to national economies and may affect issues of national security and global equity. To date, however, methodologies for interregional ES flow assessments have been published in dispersed literature. This paper provides a three-step guidance for the assessment of four different types of interregional ES flows (traded goods, passive biophysical flows, species migration and dispersal and information flows), in order to complement national ecosystem assessments. The three steps are to (i) define the goal and scope of interregional ES flow assessments, (ii) quantify the interregional ES flows using a tiered approach and (iii) interpret results in terms of uncertainties, consequences and governance options. We compile different indicators for assessing interregional ES flows and evaluate their suitability for national ES assessments. Finally, in order to value the various outcomes of telecouplings, including their implications for human well-being, we relate the interregional ES flow indicators to the Sustainable Development Goals. We discuss how regional studies can assess a country‘s dependence and impact on "overseas" ES. This guidance towards systematic assessment of interregional ES flows provides a first step to measure and quantify externalised environmental costs and can contribute to the development of indicators to address interregional imbalances in trade, foreign policy and beyond.

Ecological Indicators↗

USGS2011

Development of industrial minerals in Colorado

Technology and engineering have helped make mining safer and cleaner for both humans and the environment. Inevitably, mineral development entails costs as well as benefits. Developing a mine is an environmental, engineering, and planning challenge that must conform to many Federal, State, and local regulations. Community collaboration, creative design, and best management practices of sustainability and biodiversity can be positive indicators for the mining industry. A better understanding of aesthetics, culture, economics, geology, climate, vegetation and wildlife, topography, historical significance, and regional land planning is important in resolving land-use issues and managing mineral resources wisely. Ultimately, the consuming public makes choices about product use (including water, food, highways, housing, and thousands of other items) that influence operations of the mineral industry. Land planners, resource managers, earth scientists, designers, and public groups have a responsibility to consider sound scientific information, society's needs, and community appeals in making smart decisions concerning resource use and how complex landscapes should change. An effort to provide comprehensive geosciences data for land management agencies in central Colorado was undertaken in 2003 by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Colorado Geological Survey. This effort, the Central Colorado Assessment Project, addressed a variety of land-use issues: an understanding of the availability of industrial and metallic rocks and minerals, the geochemical and environmental effects of historic mining activity on surface water and groundwater, and the geologic controls on the availability and quality of groundwater. The USDA Forest Service and other land management agencies have the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable management of natural aggregate and other mineral resources through the identification and selective development of mineral resources and the reclamation of mines on lands that they administer. The information in this Circular will help them carry out that task.

Colorado↗

USGS2021

Modeling areal measures of campsite impacts on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to enhance ecological sustainability

Campsite impacts in protected natural areas are most effectively minimized by a containment strategy that focuses use on a limited number of sustainable campsites that spatially concentrate camping activities. This research employs spatial autoregressive (SAR) modeling to evaluate the relative influence of use-related, environmental, and managerial factors on two salient measures of campsite impact. Relational analyses examined numerous field-collected and GIS-derived indicators, including several new indicators calculated using high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) topographic data to evaluate the influence of terrain characteristics on the dependent variables. Chosen variables in the best SAR models explained 35% and 30% of the variation in campsite size and area of vegetation loss on campsites. Results identified three key indicators that managers can manipulate to enhance the sustainability of campsites: campsite type, and terrain characteristics relating to landform slope and topographic roughness. Results support indirect management methods that rely on the location, design, construction, and maintenance of campsites, instead of direct regulations that restrict visitation or visitor freedoms. As visitation pressures continue to increase, this knowledge can be applied to select and promote the use of more ecologically sustainable campsites.

Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachuset↗

USGS2011

Environmental endocrinology of salmon smoltification

Smolting is a hormone-driven developmental process that is adaptive for downstream migration and ocean survival and growth in anadromous salmonids . Smolting includes increased salinity tolerance, increased metabolism, downstream migratory and schooling behavior, silvering and darkened fin margins, and olfactory imprinting. These changes are promoted by growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, cortisol , thyroid hormones, whereas prolactin is inhibitory. Photoperiod and temperature are critical environmental cues for smolt development, and their relative importance will be critical in determining responses to future climate change. Most of our knowledge of the environmental control and endocrine mediation of smolting is based on laboratory and hatchery studies, yet there is emerging information on fish in the wild that indicates substantial differences. Such differences may arise from differences in environmental stimuli in artificial rearing environments, and may be critical to ocean survival and population sustainability. Endocrine disruptors, acidification and other contaminants can perturb smolt development, resulting in poor survival after seawater entry.

General and Comparative Endocrinology↗

USGS2018

Calibration of regional hydraulic and transport properties of an arid-region aquifer under modern and paleorecharge conditions using water levels and environmental tracers

A two-dimensional numerical groundwater flow model was established and calibrated for the hyperarid Najd region in southern Oman. The results indicate that recent recharge rates are required to sustain the observed groundwater heads in the Najd. The model was also used to estimate possible ranges of past recharge rates and the effective porosity of the main aquifer unit. Recharge rates during past humid periods were estimated to be no more than 1–3 times modern rates. The effective porosity was estimated to be between 0.06 and 0.093. Insight into the nature of the long-term transport within the aquifer was gained by using transient model runs over the last 350 ka and (1) varying the recharge intensity (from 0.1 to 2.5 times modern), and (2) the timing and duration of humid and dry periods. Finally, results indicate that although recharge rates and the flow conditions have likely changed over time, a steady-state model is capable of reproducing the observed groundwater residence times in the Najd based on carbon-14, helium and chlorine-36 dating.

Hydrogeology Journal↗

USGS2014

Fathead minnow and bluegill sunfish life-stage responses to 17β-estradiol exposure in outdoor mesocosms

Developmental and reproductive effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) exposure on two generations of fathead minnows and one generation of bluegill sunfish were assessed. Fish were exposed to E2 for six continuous weeks in outdoor mesocosms simulating natural lake environments. First generation fish were exposed while sexually mature. Second generation fathead minnows were exposed either during early development, sexual maturity, or both stages. Multiple endpoints were measured to assess effects of E2 exposure on fecundity and fish health and development. Plasma vitellogenin concentrations were highly variable in all fish. Differences in egg production timing for both species indicate differences in fecundity between females exposed to E2 and controls. First generation fathead minnows exposed to E2 had lower body condition factors and reduced secondary sexual characteristic expression by males. Only a difference in relative liver weight was observed in second generation fathead minnows. First generation bluegill males exposed to E2 had significantly smaller testes compared to controls. Although fish response was highly variable, results indicate that exposure to E2 at environmentally relevant concentrations affect fathead minnow and bluegill sunfish health and development, which may have implications for the health and sustainability of fish populations. Furthermore, exposure timing and environmental factors affect fish response to E2 exposure.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗