STATISTICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS ON NATURAL RESOURCE MONITORING PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Natural resource monitoring includes a wide variation in the type of natural resource monitored as well as in the objectives for the monitoring. Rather than address the entire breadth, the focus will be restricted to programs whose focus is to produce state, regional, or nationa...

Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program: A USFS-University of Montana Partnership Designed to Provide Both Short-term and Long-term Feedback for Land Managers

Treesearch

R. Hutto; Skip Kowalski

2006-01-01

The Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program (NRLMP) began in 1990 as a cooperative effort between the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the University of Montana. The combination of a research-oriented perspective from the University and a management-needs perspective from the National Forests within the Northern Region led to the realization that landbirds...

Potential of a national monitoring program for forests to assess change in high-latitude ecosystems

Treesearch

Tara M. Barrett; Andrew N. Gray

2011-01-01

Broad-scale monitoring in Alaska has become of increasing interest due to uncertainty about the potential impacts of changing climate on high-latitude ecosystems. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is a national monitoring program for all public and private forestlands in the US, but the program is not currently implemented in the boreal region of Alaska....

A statistically rigorous sampling design to integrate avian monitoring and management within Bird Conservation Regions.

PubMed

Pavlacky, David C; Lukacs, Paul M; Blakesley, Jennifer A; Skorkowsky, Robert C; Klute, David S; Hahn, Beth A; Dreitz, Victoria J; George, T Luke; Hanni, David J

2017-01-01

Monitoring is an essential component of wildlife management and conservation. However, the usefulness of monitoring data is often undermined by the lack of 1) coordination across organizations and regions, 2) meaningful management and conservation objectives, and 3) rigorous sampling designs. Although many improvements to avian monitoring have been discussed, the recommendations have been slow to emerge in large-scale programs. We introduce the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program designed to overcome the above limitations. Our objectives are to outline the development of a statistically defensible sampling design to increase the value of large-scale monitoring data and provide example applications to demonstrate the ability of the design to meet multiple conservation and management objectives. We outline the sampling process for the IMBCR program with a focus on the Badlands and Prairies Bird Conservation Region (BCR 17). We provide two examples for the Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri) in BCR 17 demonstrating the ability of the design to 1) determine hierarchical population responses to landscape change and 2) estimate hierarchical habitat relationships to predict the response of the Brewer's sparrow to conservation efforts at multiple spatial scales. The collaboration across organizations and regions provided economy of scale by leveraging a common data platform over large spatial scales to promote the efficient use of monitoring resources. We designed the IMBCR program to address the information needs and core conservation and management objectives of the participating partner organizations. Although it has been argued that probabilistic sampling designs are not practical for large-scale monitoring, the IMBCR program provides a precedent for implementing a statistically defensible sampling design from local to bioregional scales. We demonstrate that integrating conservation and management objectives with rigorous statistical design and analyses ensures reliable knowledge about bird populations that is relevant and integral to bird conservation at multiple scales.

A statistically rigorous sampling design to integrate avian monitoring and management within Bird Conservation Regions

PubMed Central

Hahn, Beth A.; Dreitz, Victoria J.; George, T. Luke

2017-01-01

Monitoring is an essential component of wildlife management and conservation. However, the usefulness of monitoring data is often undermined by the lack of 1) coordination across organizations and regions, 2) meaningful management and conservation objectives, and 3) rigorous sampling designs. Although many improvements to avian monitoring have been discussed, the recommendations have been slow to emerge in large-scale programs. We introduce the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program designed to overcome the above limitations. Our objectives are to outline the development of a statistically defensible sampling design to increase the value of large-scale monitoring data and provide example applications to demonstrate the ability of the design to meet multiple conservation and management objectives. We outline the sampling process for the IMBCR program with a focus on the Badlands and Prairies Bird Conservation Region (BCR 17). We provide two examples for the Brewer’s sparrow (Spizella breweri) in BCR 17 demonstrating the ability of the design to 1) determine hierarchical population responses to landscape change and 2) estimate hierarchical habitat relationships to predict the response of the Brewer’s sparrow to conservation efforts at multiple spatial scales. The collaboration across organizations and regions provided economy of scale by leveraging a common data platform over large spatial scales to promote the efficient use of monitoring resources. We designed the IMBCR program to address the information needs and core conservation and management objectives of the participating partner organizations. Although it has been argued that probabilistic sampling designs are not practical for large-scale monitoring, the IMBCR program provides a precedent for implementing a statistically defensible sampling design from local to bioregional scales. We demonstrate that integrating conservation and management objectives with rigorous statistical design and analyses ensures reliable knowledge about bird populations that is relevant and integral to bird conservation at multiple scales. PMID:29065128

An Overview of the Ontario Forest Bird Monitoring Program in Canada

Treesearch

Daniel A. Welsh

1995-01-01

In 1987, the Canadian Wildlife Service (Ontario Region) initiated a program to inventory and monitor trends in forest birds. The Forest Bird Monitoring Program (FBMP) was designed to describe changes in numbers over time for all forest songbirds, to develop a habitat-specific baseline inventory of forest birds (species composition and relative abundance), and to...

Program evaluation of remote heart failure monitoring: healthcare utilization analysis in a rural regional medical center.

PubMed

Riley, William T; Keberlein, Pamela; Sorenson, Gigi; Mohler, Sailor; Tye, Blake; Ramirez, A Susana; Carroll, Mark

2015-03-01

Remote monitoring for heart failure (HF) has had mixed and heterogeneous effects across studies, necessitating further evaluation of remote monitoring systems within specific healthcare systems and their patient populations. "Care Beyond Walls and Wires," a wireless remote monitoring program to facilitate patient and care team co-management of HF patients, served by a rural regional medical center, provided the opportunity to evaluate the effects of this program on healthcare utilization. Fifty HF patients admitted to Flagstaff Medical Center (Flagstaff, AZ) participated in the project. Many of these patients lived in underserved and rural communities, including Native American reservations. Enrolled patients received mobile, broadband-enabled remote monitoring devices. A matched cohort was identified for comparison. HF patients enrolled in this program showed substantial and statistically significant reductions in healthcare utilization during the 6 months following enrollment, and these reductions were significantly greater compared with those who declined to participate but not when compared with a matched cohort. The findings from this project indicate that a remote HF monitoring program can be successfully implemented in a rural, underserved area. Reductions in healthcare utilization were observed among program participants, but reductions were also observed among a matched cohort, illustrating the need for rigorous assessment of the effects of HF remote monitoring programs in healthcare systems.

SCIENCE RESULTS INTEGRATION. BRINGING MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TECHNIQUES TO REGIONAL WATER MONITORING PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) develops innovative methods for use in environmental monitoring and assessment by scientists in Regions, states, and Tribes. Molecular-biology-based methods are not yet established in the environmental monitoring "tool box". SRI (Sci...

Compliance Groundwater Monitoring of Nonpoint Sources - Emerging Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harter, T.

2008-12-01

Groundwater monitoring networks are typically designed for regulatory compliance of discharges from industrial sites. There, the quality of first encountered (shallow-most) groundwater is of key importance. Network design criteria have been developed for purposes of determining whether an actual or potential, permitted or incidental waste discharge has had or will have a degrading effect on groundwater quality. The fundamental underlying paradigm is that such discharge (if it occurs) will form a distinct contamination plume. Networks that guide (post-contamination) mitigation efforts are designed to capture the shape and dynamics of existing, finite-scale plumes. In general, these networks extend over areas less than one to ten hectare. In recent years, regulatory programs such as the EU Nitrate Directive and the U.S. Clean Water Act have forced regulatory agencies to also control groundwater contamination from non-incidental, recharging, non-point sources, particularly agricultural sources (fertilizer, pesticides, animal waste application, biosolids application). Sources and contamination from these sources can stretch over several tens, hundreds, or even thousands of square kilometers with no distinct plumes. A key question in implementing monitoring programs at the local, regional, and national level is, whether groundwater monitoring can be effectively used as a landowner compliance tool, as is currently done at point-source sites. We compare the efficiency of such traditional site-specific compliance networks in nonpoint source regulation with various designs of regional nonpoint source monitoring networks that could be used for compliance monitoring. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the site vs. regional monitoring approaches with respect to effectively protecting groundwater resources impacted by nonpoint sources: Site-networks provide a tool to enforce compliance by an individual landowner. But the nonpoint source character of the contamination and its typically large spatial extend requires extensive networks at an individual site to accurately and fairly monitor individual compliance. In contrast, regional networks seemingly fail to hold individual landowners accountable. But regional networks can effectively monitor large-scale impacts and water quality trends; and thus inform regulatory programs that enforce management practices tied to nonpoint source pollution. Regional monitoring networks for compliance purposes can face significant challenges in the implementation due to a regulatory and legal landscape that is exclusively structured to address point sources and individual liability, and due to the non-intensive nature of a regional monitoring program (lack of control of hot spots; lack of accountability of individual landowners).

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH, MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

EPA Region 3 to implement a long-term research, monitoring, and assessment program in the Mid-Atlantic region - the Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA). The MAIA mission is to develop a broad-based partnership to integrate scientific knowledge into the decision-making proc...

Northeast regional and state trends in anuran occupancy from calling survey data (2001-2011) from the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weir, Linda A.; Royle, Andy; Gazenski, Kimberly D.; Villena Carpio, Oswaldo

2014-01-01

We present the first regional trends in anuran occupancy from North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) data from 11 northeastern states using an 11 years of data. NAAMP is a long-term monitoring program where observers collect data at assigned random roadside routes using a calling survey technique. We assessed occupancy trends for 17 species. Eight species had statistically significant regional trends, of these seven were negative (Anaxyrus fowleri, Acris crepitans, Pseudacris brachyphona, Pseudacris feriarum-kalmi complex, Lithobates palustris, Lithobates pipiens, and Lithobates sphenocephalus) and one was positive (Hyla versicolor-chrysoscelis complex). We also assessed state level trends for 101 species/state combinations, of these 29 showed a significant decline and nine showed a significant increase in occupancy.

MONITORING CHANGES IN THE ESTUARIES OF THE UNITED STATES: THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program/Estuaries (EMAP-E) is to estimate the current status, extent, changes, and trends in ecological indicators of the condition of the nation's coastal resources (intertidal, subtidal, and offshore) on a regional and ...

INTEGRATED COASTAL MONITORING PROGRAM FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO

EPA Science Inventory

The Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) Office in cooperation with Gulf State agencies, EPA Regions 4 and 6, EPA's Office of Water and Office of Research and Development (ORD), and the GMP principal partners are developing an integrated coastal monitoring program for the Gulf of Mexico....

JAVA CLASSES FOR NONPROCEDURAL VARIOGRAM MONITORING

EPA Science Inventory

A set of Java classes was written for variogram modeling to support research for US EPA's Regional Vulnerability Assessment Program (ReVA). The modeling objectives of this research program are to use conceptual programming tools for numerical analysis for regional risk assessm...

Analysis of U. S. Forest Service bird point-count monitoring database - implications for designing and implementing avian monitoring

Treesearch

Eric T. Linder; David A. Buehler

2005-01-01

In 1996, Region 8 of the U. S. Forest Service implemented a program to monitor landbirds on southeastern U.S. national forests. The goal was to develop a monitoring system that could document population trends and bird-habitat relationships. Using power analysis, we examined the ability of the monitoring program to detect population trends (3 percent annual change) at...

Youth Monitoring and Self-Evaluation Services. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Calvin W.

Youth monitoring and self evaluation services were developed for fourteen youth programs in the Eastern Region, the mid-Western Region and the Western Region of the United States. The concept of youth involvement is central to these fourteen projects. Youth involvement is defined as "initial participation by project beneficiaries in the…

ELEMENTAL FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION IN NORTHEASTERN U.S. LAKES: EVALUATION OF AN APPROACH TO REGIONAL ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The approach of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to monitoring of fish tissue contaminants is shown to have utility for regional assessment,and for discrimination of regional from local contamination.The survey sampling design employed by EMAP can be use...

ELEMENTAL FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION IN NORTHEASTERN U.S. LAKES: EVALUATION OF AN APPROACH TO REGIONAL ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The approach of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to monitoring of fish tissue contaminants is shown to have utility for regional assessment, and for discrimination of regional from local contamination. The survey sampling design employed EMAP can be used...

The Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bart, J.; Andres, B.; Brown, S.; Donaldson, G.; Harrington, B.; Johnston, V.; Jones, S.; Morrison, R.I.G.; Skagen, S.K.

2005-01-01

This report describes the "Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring" (PRISM). PRISM is being implemented by a Canada-United States Shorebird Monitoring and Assessment Committee formed in 2001 by the Canadian Shorebird Working Group and the U.S. Shorebird Council. PRISM provides a single blueprint for implementing the shorebird conservation plans recently completed in Canada and the United States. The goals of PRISM are to (1) estimate the size of breeding population of 74 shorebird taxa in North America; (2) describe the distribution, abundance, and habitat relationships for each of these taxa; (3) monitor trends in shorebird population size; (4) monitor shorebird numbers at stopover locations, and; (5) assist local managers in meeting their shorebird conservation goals. PRISM has four main components: arctic and boreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding surveys, temperate non-breeding surveys, and neotropical surveys. Progress on, and action items for, each major component are described. The more important major tasks for immediate action are carrying out the northern surveys, conducting regional analyses to design the program of migration counts, and evaluating aerial photographic surveys for migration and winter counts.

MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

ORD's Regional Vulnerability Assessment (REVA) Program is developing and demonstrating approaches to assess current and future environmental vulnerabilities so that risk management activities can be targeted. The sister program to EMA.P (Environmental Monitoring Assessment Progr...

Lake and bulk sampling chemistry, NADP, and IMPROVE air quality data analysis on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (USFS Region 4)

Treesearch

Jill Grenon; Terry Svalberg; Ted Porwoll; Mark Story

2010-01-01

Air quality monitoring data from several programs in and around the Bridger-Teton (B-T) National Forest - National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), longterm lake monitoring, long-term bulk precipitation monitoring (both snow and rain), and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) - were analyzed in this report. Trends were analyzed using...

[The marine coastal water monitoring program of the Italian Ministry of the Environment].

PubMed

Di Girolamo, Irene

2003-01-01

The Ministry of the Environment carries out marine and coastal monitoring programs with the collaboration of the coastal Regions. The program in progress (2001-2003), on the basis of results of the previous one, has identified 73 particulary significant areas (57 critical areas and 16 control areas). The program investigates several parameters on water, plancton, sediments, mollusks and benthos with analyses fortnightly, six-monthly and annual. The main aim of these three year monitoring programs is to assess the quality of national marine ecosystem.

Methods for shorebird surveys in the Arctic

Treesearch

Jonathan Bart; Susan L. Earnst

2005-01-01

A substantial effort is being made to develop a longterm monitoring program for shorebirds in North American (Brown et al. 2000, Donaldson et al. 2001, Bart et al. this volume). The current program, PRISM (Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring), has four segments: arctic and boreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding surveys, temperate non-...

REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY, QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDITS

EPA Science Inventory

RAPS Quality Assurance audits were conducted under this Task Order in continuation of the audit program previously conducted under Task Order No. 58. Quantitative field audits were conducted of the Regional Air Monitoring System (RAMS) Air Monitoring Stations, Local Air Monitorin...

SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATION (SITE) PROGRAM FOR MONITORING AND CHARACTERIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

This task seeks to identify high priority needs of the Regions and Program Offices for innovative field sampling, characterization, monitoring, and measurement technologies. When an appropriate solution to a specific problem is identified, a field demonstration is conducted to d...

EMAP WESTERN UNITED STATES LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZATION OREGON DATA AND PRODUCT BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is conducting a study in the western United States (EPA Regions 8, 9, and 10) that will advance the science of ecological monitoring and demonstrate techniques for regional-...

Detecting insect pollinator declines on regional and global scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lubuhn, Gretchen; Droege, Sam; Connor, Edward F.; Gemmill-Herren, Barbara; Potts, Simon G.; Minckley, Robert L.; Griswold, Terry; Jean, Robert; Kula, Emanuel; Roubik, David W.; Cane, Jim; Wright, Karen W.; Frankie, Gordon; Parker, Frank

2013-01-01

Recently there has been considerable concern about declines in bee communities in agricultural and natural habitats. The value of pollination to agriculture, provided primarily by bees, is >$200 billion/year worldwide, and in natural ecosystems it is thought to be even greater. However, no monitoring program exists to accurately detect declines in abundance of insect pollinators; thus, it is difficult to quantify the status of bee communities or estimate the extent of declines. We used data from 11 multiyear studies of bee communities to devise a program to monitor pollinators at regional, national, or international scales. In these studies, 7 different methods for sampling bees were used and bees were sampled on 3 different continents. We estimated that a monitoring program with 200-250 sampling locations each sampled twice over 5 years would provide sufficient power to detect small (2-5%) annual declines in the number of species and in total abundance and would cost U.S.$2,000,000. To detect declines as small as 1% annually over the same period would require >300 sampling locations. Given the role of pollinators in food security and ecosystem function, we recommend establishment of integrated regional and international monitoring programs to detect changes in pollinator communities.

Hampton roads regional Water-Quality Monitoring Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Porter, Aaron J.; Jastram, John D.

2016-12-02

IntroductionHow much nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids are contributed by the highly urbanized areas of the Hampton Roads region in Virginia to Chesapeake Bay? The answer to this complex question has major implications for policy decisions, resource allocations, and efforts aimed at restoring clean waters to Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. To quantify the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids delivered to the bay from this region, the U.S. Geological Survey has partnered with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), in cooperation with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC), to conduct a water-quality monitoring program throughout the Hampton Roads region.

Supporting Analyses for an Assessment of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Regional Education Service Agencies Program, and Appendices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, John D.; And Others

This report presents the results of a Rapid Feedback Evaluation focused on 1) policy questions raised by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) concerning its Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) program, and 2) future ARC strategies for evaluating and monitoring RESAs. RESAs are organizations established to provide a range of educational…

Proceedings, 1995 meeting of the Northern Global Change Program; 1995 March 14-16; Pittsburgh, PA. : Introduction/Environmental Change

Treesearch

John Hom; Richard Birdsey; Kelly O' Brian; eds.

1996-01-01

Contains articles presented at the 1995 Northern Global Change Program meeting on the following topics: monitoring and predicting regional environmental change, responses of northern tree species to regional stress, responses of ecosystem processes to regional stress, forest and landscape responses to regional stress and management activities, human-forest interactions...

3.0 Foundation programs for the Delaware CEMRI framework

Treesearch

Peter S. Murdoch

2008-01-01

A complete review of all the national monitoring programs that could possibly contribute to the Delaware River Basin (DRB) CEMRI Framework is beyond the scope of this report. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment developed a Web-based annotated inventory of such monitoring programs for the mid-Atlantic region. Olsen et al. (...

Empirical evaluation of the conceptual model underpinning a regional aquatic long-term monitoring program using causal modelling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irvine, Kathryn M.; Miller, Scott; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Archer, Erik; Roper, Brett B.; Kershner, Jeffrey L.

2015-01-01

Conceptual models are an integral facet of long-term monitoring programs. Proposed linkages between drivers, stressors, and ecological indicators are identified within the conceptual model of most mandated programs. We empirically evaluate a conceptual model developed for a regional aquatic and riparian monitoring program using causal models (i.e., Bayesian path analysis). We assess whether data gathered for regional status and trend estimation can also provide insights on why a stream may deviate from reference conditions. We target the hypothesized causal pathways for how anthropogenic drivers of road density, percent grazing, and percent forest within a catchment affect instream biological condition. We found instream temperature and fine sediments in arid sites and only fine sediments in mesic sites accounted for a significant portion of the maximum possible variation explainable in biological condition among managed sites. However, the biological significance of the direct effects of anthropogenic drivers on instream temperature and fine sediments were minimal or not detected. Consequently, there was weak to no biological support for causal pathways related to anthropogenic drivers’ impact on biological condition. With weak biological and statistical effect sizes, ignoring environmental contextual variables and covariates that explain natural heterogeneity would have resulted in no evidence of human impacts on biological integrity in some instances. For programs targeting the effects of anthropogenic activities, it is imperative to identify both land use practices and mechanisms that have led to degraded conditions (i.e., moving beyond simple status and trend estimation). Our empirical evaluation of the conceptual model underpinning the long-term monitoring program provided an opportunity for learning and, consequently, we discuss survey design elements that require modification to achieve question driven monitoring, a necessary step in the practice of adaptive monitoring. We suspect our situation is not unique and many programs may suffer from the same inferential disconnect. Commonly, the survey design is optimized for robust estimates of regional status and trend detection and not necessarily to provide statistical inferences on the causal mechanisms outlined in the conceptual model, even though these relationships are typically used to justify and promote the long-term monitoring of a chosen ecological indicator. Our application demonstrates a process for empirical evaluation of conceptual models and exemplifies the need for such interim assessments in order for programs to evolve and persist.

U.S. Forest Service Region 1 Lake Chemistry, NADP, and IMPROVE air quality data analysis

Treesearch

Jill Grenon; Mark Story

2009-01-01

This report was developed to address the need for comprehensive analysis of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Region 1 air quality monitoring data. The monitoring data includes Phase 3 (long-term data) lakes, National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE). Annual and seasonal data for the periods of record...

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM: NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT - LESSONS LEARNED

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program's National Coastal Assessment is to estimate the current status, extent, changes, and trends in ecological indicators of the condition of the nation's coastal resources on a state, regional and national basis. Bas...

A PHOENIX RISING: ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM AND THE COASTAL 2000 NATIONAL SURVEY

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program-Coastal Resources is to estimate the current status, extent, changes, and trends in ecological indicators of the condition of the nation's coastal resources (intertidal, subtidal, and offshore) on a regional and n...

Use of EMAP Freshwater and Marine Data in EPA Region 10

Treesearch

Gretchen A. Hayslip; C. Lorraine Edmond; Lillian G. Herger

2006-01-01

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to provide tools to monitor and assess the condition of the nation’s ecological resources. Since 1993, EPA Region 10 has worked with the States in our region to demonstrate the application of the ecological indicators and statistical designs developed by EMAP...

Southeast regional and state trends in anuran occupancy from calling survey data (2001-2013) from the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Villena Carpio, Oswaldo; Royle, J. Andrew; Weir, Linda; Foreman, Tasha M.; Gazenski, Kimberly D.; Campbell Grant, Evan H.

2016-01-01

We present the first regional trends in anuran occupancy for eight states of the southeastern United States, based on 13 y (2001–2013) of North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) data. The NAAMP is a longterm monitoring program in which observers collect anuran calling observation data at fixed locations along random roadside routes. We assessed occupancy trends for 14 species. We found weak evidence for a general regional pattern of decline in calling anurans within breeding habitats along roads in the southeastern USA over the last 13 y. Two species had positive regional trends with 95% posterior intervals that did not include zero (Hyla cinerea and Pseudacris crucifer). Five other species also showed an increasing trend, while eight species showed a declining trend, although 95% posterior intervals included zero. We also assessed state level trends for 107 species/state combinations. Of these, 14 showed a significant decline and 12 showed a significant increase in occupancy (i.e., credible intervals did not include zero for these 26 trends).

SAN FRANCISCO BAY WETLANDS REGIONAL MONITORING PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The geographic area to be monitored is the San Francisco Estuary and its watersheds from the Golden Gate to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at Broad Slough. The initial focus will be the baylands of the region defined as the lands between the maximum and minimum elevations of t...

National Forest Health Monitoring Program, Monitoring Urban Forests in Indiana: Pilot Study 2002, Part 2: Statewide Estimates Using the UFORE Model

Treesearch

David Nowak; Anne Buckelew Cumming; Daniel Twardus; Robert Hoehn; Manfred Mielke

2007-01-01

Trees in cities can improve environmental quality and human health. Unfortunately, little is known about the urban forest resource and what and how it contributes to local, regional, and national societies and economies. To better understand the urban forest resource and its value, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Monitoring Program...

Regional Monitoring of Acidic Lakes and Streams

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This asset provides data on the acid-base status of lakes and streams. Key chemical indicators measured include: sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, chloride, Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC), pH, base cations, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total aluminum. TIME and LTM are part of EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). Long-term monitoring of the acid-base status (pH, ANC, SO4, NO3, NH4, DOC, base cations, Al) in lakes and streams. Monitoring is conducted in acid sensitive regions of the Eastern U.S.

Using normal ranges for interpreting results of monitoring and tiering to guide future work: A case study of increasing polycyclic aromatic compounds in lake sediments from the Cold Lake oil sands (Alberta, Canada) described in Korosi et al. (2016).

PubMed

Munkittrick, Kelly R; Arciszewski, Tim J

2017-12-01

Since the publishing of the Kelly et al. papers (2009, 2010) describing elevated contaminants in snow near the Alberta oil sands, there has been a significant expansion of monitoring efforts, enhanced by $50M a year contributed by industry to a regional Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. In parallel to the intensification of research and monitoring efforts, including expansion of measured indicators, techniques for chemical analysis have also become more sensitive. Both factors contribute to the increased sensitivity and power, and improve our capacity to detect any change. The increase in capability requires a counterbalance to account for trivial change. This can be done using an interpretative approach that requires contextualization of differences to meaningfully inform environmental monitoring programs and provide focus for action. Experience obtained through 25 years of involvement with Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program has shown that a tiered program informed by triggers can provide the context to make decisions about monitoring priorities. Here we provide a potential interpretation framework using a case study around the Korosi et al. (2016) study which found recent increases in alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (aPACs) in the Cold Lake in situ oil sands area. Public contaminant profiles from the JOSM studies in the oil sands region are used to evaluate the changes using an interpretation framework based on estimated normal ranges using existing data for site-specific, local and regional (distant) levels that was modelled after the tiered Canadian EEM design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management, Planning, and Monitoring Population Education Programmes. Abstract-Bibliography Series 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

This document abstracts and reviews 32 publications that describe population education programs developed for Asia and the Pacific region. The documents are grouped under three sections: (1) management; (2) planning; and (3) monitoring/evaluation. Section 1 consists of 12 selected titles that deal with management of population education programs.…

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM: THE NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT ERF 2001, ST. PETE BEACH, NOV 4-8, 2001

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program's National Coastal Assessment (NCA) is to estimate the current status, extent, changes, and trends in ecological indicators of the condition of the nation's coastal resources on a state, regional and national basi...

Remote monitoring and Tennessee Valley Authority programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, A. R.; Voss, A. W.

1977-01-01

The Tennessee Valley Authority was created in 1933 as a resource development agency and was charged with the basic mission of improving the economy of a depressed region through power production, flood control, and navigation. Those programs which availed themselves of remotely monitored data, either directly or indirectly supporting this mission, were examined.

BIRD COMMUNITIES AND HABITAT AS ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF FOREST CONDITION IN REGIONAL MONITORING

EPA Science Inventory

Ecological indicators for long-term monitoring programs are needed to detect and assess changing environmental conditions, We developed and tested community-level environmental indicators for monitoring forest bird populations and associated habitat. We surveyed 197 sampling plo...

Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A successful start to a national program in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muths, Erin; Jung, Robin E.; Bailey, Larissa L.; Adams, Michael J.; Corn, P. Stephen; Dodd, C. Kenneth; Fellers, Gary M.; Sadinski, Walter J.; Schwalbe, Cecil R.; Walls, Susan C.; Fisher, Robert N.; Gallant, Alisa L.; Battaglin, William A.; Green, D. Earl

2005-01-01

Most research to assess amphibian declines has focused on local-scale projects on one or a few species. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a national program in the United States mandated by congressional directive and implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior (specifically the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS). Program goals are to monitor changes in populations of amphibians across U.S. Department of the Interior lands and to address research questions related to amphibian declines using a hierarchical framework of base-, mid- and apex-level monitoring sites. ARMI is currently monitoring 83 amphibian species (29% of species in the U.S.) at mid- and apex-level areas. We chart the progress of this 5-year-old program and provide an example of mid-level monitoring from 1 of the 7 ARMI regions.

Tribal Air Programs in the Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Region 9 Air Division can assist the 148 tribes in Region 9 with air quality planning, permitting, rulemaking, enforcement/compliance, indoor air, monitoring and related technical support, air grants, and climate change.

Area-specific recreation use estimation using the national visitor use monitoring program data.

Treesearch

Eric M. White; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Donald B.K. English

2007-01-01

Estimates of national forest recreation use are available at the national, regional, and forest levels via the USDA Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program. In some resource planning and management applications, analysts desire recreation use estimates for subforest areas within an individual national forest or for subforest areas that combine...

Monitoring Insects to Maintain Biodiversity in Ogawa Forest Reserve

Treesearch

S. Makino; T. Inoue; K. Hamaguchi; K. Okabe; I. Okochi; H. Tanaka; H. Goto; M. Hasegawa; M. Sueyoshi

2006-01-01

The results of a biodiversity monitoring program conducted in the Ogawa Forest Reserve and its vicinity, situated in a temperate region of Japan, identified three different patterns for species richness. Forests of the region are characterized by a mosaic of secondary deciduous stands of various ages scattered among plantations of conifers. The three different types of...

77 FR 9956 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-21

... of regional significance, use data to set and monitor progress toward performance goals, and engage... Principles; d. Use geo-coded data sets and other metrics in developing, implementing, monitoring, and... (103 Stat. 1987, 42 U.S.C. 3545), the Department is publishing the names, addresses, and amounts of the...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 651 - Mitigation and Monitoring

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., COE research laboratories, COE districts and divisions, and DoD Regional Support Centers. State... technical parameters used must be measurable; for example, the monitoring program must be quantitative and...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 651 - Mitigation and Monitoring

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., COE research laboratories, COE districts and divisions, and DoD Regional Support Centers. State... technical parameters used must be measurable; for example, the monitoring program must be quantitative and...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 651 - Mitigation and Monitoring

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., COE research laboratories, COE districts and divisions, and DoD Regional Support Centers. State... technical parameters used must be measurable; for example, the monitoring program must be quantitative and...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 651 - Mitigation and Monitoring

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., COE research laboratories, COE districts and divisions, and DoD Regional Support Centers. State... technical parameters used must be measurable; for example, the monitoring program must be quantitative and...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 651 - Mitigation and Monitoring

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., COE research laboratories, COE districts and divisions, and DoD Regional Support Centers. State... technical parameters used must be measurable; for example, the monitoring program must be quantitative and...

Workshop established the Northeastern Soil Monitoring Cooperative

Treesearch

Gregory B. Lawrence; Scott W. Bailey

2007-01-01

Environmental monitoring is an essential tool for identifying changes in the biosphere. The need for environmental data has led to national programs to monitor atmospheric deposition, the composition and growth of forests, and the chemistry of lakes and streams in regions affected by acidic deposition. However, there has been no organized effort to monitor changes in...

Data Quality Objectives Supporting the Environmental Soil Monitoring Program for the Idaho National Laboratory Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haney, Thomas Jay

This document describes the process used to develop data quality objectives for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Environmental Soil Monitoring Program in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance. This document also develops and presents the logic that was used to determine the specific number of soil monitoring locations at the INL Site, at locations bordering the INL Site, and at locations in the surrounding regional area. The monitoring location logic follows the guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy for environmental surveillance of its facilities.

40 CFR 1.49 - Office of Water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... programs, is responsible for management of EPA's water programs. Functions of the Office include program... assistance to the regional activities in both enforcement and permitting programs. (b) Office of Water... for monitoring and evaluating the performance, progress, and fiscal status of the organization in...

40 CFR 1.49 - Office of Water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... programs, is responsible for management of EPA's water programs. Functions of the Office include program... assistance to the regional activities in both enforcement and permitting programs. (b) Office of Water... for monitoring and evaluating the performance, progress, and fiscal status of the organization in...

State-of-the-art practices in farmland biodiversity monitoring for North America and Europe.

PubMed

Herzog, Felix; Franklin, Janet

2016-12-01

Policy makers and farmers need to know the status of farmland biodiversity in order to meet conservation goals and evaluate management options. Based on a review of 11 monitoring programs in Europe and North America and on related literature, we identify the design choices or attributes of a program that balance monitoring costs and usefulness for stakeholders. A useful program monitors habitats, vascular plants, and possibly faunal groups (ecosystem service providers, charismatic species) using a stratified random sample of the agricultural landscape, including marginal and intensive regions. The size of landscape samples varies with the grain of the agricultural landscape; for example, samples are smaller in Europe and larger in North America. Raw data are collected in a rolling survey, which distributes sampling over several years. Sufficient practical experience is now available to implement broad monitoring schemes on both continents. Technological developments in remote sensing, metagenomics, and social media may offer new opportunities for affordable farmland biodiversity monitoring and help to lower the overall costs of monitoring programs.

21st century tools to prioritize contaminants for monitoring and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The webinar focused on ways that ToxCast high throughput screening data and the adverse outcome pathway framework, under development in the CSS program, can be used to prioritize environmental contaminants for monitoring and management. The webinar focused on ways that ToxCast high throughput screening data and the adverse outcome pathway framework, under development in the CSS program, can be used to prioritize environmental contaminants for monitoring and management. The work presented focused on case studies conducted in Region 8, in collaboration with EPA Region 8 and NEIC, as well as other federal (USGS, US FWS) and regional partners (Northern Colorado Plateau Network). The Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC) is a grass-roots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization comprised of world-class scientists and stakeholders with a shared interest in the source, fate, and physiological effects of contaminants of emerging concern (www.creec.net). As such, they represent an important group of stakeholders with an interest in applying the data, approaches, and tools that are being developed by the CSS program.

30 CFR 250.282 - Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring... OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and... monitoring? The Regional Supervisor may direct you to conduct monitoring programs. You must retain copies of...

30 CFR 250.282 - Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring... OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and... monitoring? The Regional Supervisor may direct you to conduct monitoring programs. You must retain copies of...

30 CFR 250.282 - Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Do I have to conduct post-approval monitoring... OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and... monitoring? The Regional Supervisor may direct you to conduct monitoring programs. You must retain copies of...

NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS AFFECTING GLOBAL AND REGIONAL CLIMATE. A REPORT OF THE NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL ASSESSMENT GROUP FOR THE US GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

With the advent of Earth-orbiting satellites to monitor our planet and spacecraft that study the sun, an active international joint project to monitor the Sun?Earth (Solar Terrestrial) environment has evolved. Coupled with an ever increasing computational capability, we are now a...

Conceptual ecological models to support detection of ecological change on Alaska National Wildlife Refuges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodward, Andrea; Beever, Erik A.

2011-01-01

More than 31 million hectares of land are protected and managed in 16 refuges by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Alaska. The vastness and isolation of Alaskan refuges give rise to relatively intact and complete ecosystems. The potential for these lands to provide habitat for trust species is likely to be altered, however, due to global climate change, which is having dramatic effects at high latitudes. The ability of USFWS to effectively manage these lands in the future will be enhanced by a regional inventory and monitoring program that integrates and supplements monitoring currently being implemented by individual refuges. Conceptual models inform monitoring programs in a number of ways, including summarizing important ecosystem components and processes as well as facilitating communication, discussion and debate about the nature of the system and important management issues. This process can lead to hypotheses regarding future changes, likely results of alternative management actions, identification of monitoring indicators, and ultimately, interpretation of monitoring results. As a first step towards developing a monitoring program, the 16 refuges in Alaska each created a conceptual model of their refuge and the landscape context. Models include prominent ecosystem components, drivers, and processes by which components are linked or altered. The Alaska refuge system also recognizes that designing and implementing monitoring at regional and ecoregional extents has numerous scientific, fiscal, logistical, and political advantages over monitoring conducted exclusively at refuge-specific scales. Broad-scale monitoring is particularly advantageous for examining phenomena such as climate change because effects are best interpreted at broader spatial extents. To enable an ecoregional perspective, a rationale was developed for deriving ecoregional boundaries for four ecoregions (Polar, Interior Alaska, Bering Coast, and North Pacific Coast) from the Unified Ecoregions of Alaska. Ecoregional models were then developed to illustrate resources and processes that operate at spatial scales larger than individual refuges within each ecoregion. Conceptual models also were developed for adjacent marine areas, designated as the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Beaufort-Chukchi Sea Marine Ecoregions. Although many more conceptual models will be required to support development of a regional monitoring program, these definitions of ecoregions and associated conceptual models are an important foundation.

Temperate non-breeding surveys - a key to shorebird conservation

Treesearch

Sue Thomas

2005-01-01

Completion of the United States and Canadian shorebird conservation plans recently identified and prioritized shorebird monitoring, management, and conservation needs in the Western Hemisphere. We present an emerging approach to monitor shorebird use of temperate non-breeding areas under the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM). This...

Genetic monitoring as a promising tool for conservation and management

Treesearch

Michael K. Schwartz; Gordon Luikart; Robin S. Waples

2007-01-01

In response to ever-increasing anthropogenic changes to natural ecosystems, regional, national and international organizations have established guidelines for monitoring biological diversity. Most monitoring programs, however, do not take full advantage of the potential afforded by molecular genetic markers, which can provide information relevant to both ecological and...

Mapping the information landscape: Discerning peaks and valleys for ecological monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moniz, L.J.; Nichols, J.D.; Nichols, J.M.

2007-01-01

We investigate previously unreported phenomena that have a potentially significant impact on the design of surveillance monitoring programs for ecological systems. Ecological monitoring practitioners have long recognized that different species are differentially informative of a system?s dynamics, as codified in the well-known concepts of indicator or keystone species. Using a novel combination of analysis techniques from nonlinear dynamics, we describe marked variation among spatial sites in information content with respect to system dynamics in the entire region. We first observed these phenomena in a spatially extended predator?prey model, but we observed strikingly similar features in verified water-level data from a NOAA/NOS Great Lakes monitoring program. We suggest that these features may be widespread and the design of surveillance monitoring programs should reflect knowledge of their existence.

A framework for assessment and monitoring of small mammals in a lowland tropical forest.

PubMed

Solari, Sergio; Rodriguez, Juan José; Vivar, Elena; Velazco, Paul M

2002-05-01

Development projects in tropical forests can impact biodiversity. Assessment and monitoring programs based on the principles of adaptive management assist managers to identify and reduce such impacts. The small mammal community is one important component of a forest ecosystem that may be impacted by development projects. In 1996, a natural gas exploration project was initiated in a Peruvian rainforest. The Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity program cooperated with Shell Prospecting and Development Peru to establish an adaptive management program to protect the region's biodiversity. In this article, we discuss the role of assessing and monitoring small mammals in relation to the natural gas project. We outline the conceptual issues involved in establishing an assessment and monitoring program, including setting objectives, evaluating the results and making appropriate decisions. We also summarize the steps taken to implement the small mammal assessment, provide results from the assessment and discuss protocols to identify appropriate species for monitoring.

Scientific Framework for Stormwater Monitoring by the Washington State Department of Transportation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sheibley, R.W.; Kelly, V.J.; Wagner, R.J.

2009-01-01

The Washington State Department of Transportation municipal stormwater monitoring program, in operation for about 8 years, never has received an external, objective assessment. In addition, the Washington State Department of Transportation would like to identify the standard operating procedures and quality assurance protocols that must be adopted so that their monitoring program will meet the requirements of the new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System municipal stormwater permit. As a result, in March 2009, the Washington State Department of Transportation asked the U.S. Geological Survey to assess their pre-2009 municipal stormwater monitoring program. This report presents guidelines developed for the Washington State Department of Transportation to meet new permit requirements and regional/national stormwater monitoring standards to ensure that adequate processes and procedures are identified to collect high-quality, scientifically defensible municipal stormwater monitoring data. These include: (1) development of coherent vision and cooperation among all elements of the program; (2) a comprehensive approach for site selection; (3) an effective quality assurance program for field, laboratory, and data management; and (4) an adequate database and data management system.

Experimental Design Considerations for Establishing an Off-Road, Habitat-Specific Bird Monitoring Program Using Point Counts

Treesearch

JoAnn M. Hanowski; Gerald J. Niemi

1995-01-01

We established bird monitoring programs in two regions of Minnesota: the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest. The experimental design defined forest cover types as strata in which samples of forest stands were randomly selected. Subsamples (3 point counts) were placed in each stand to maximize field effort and to assess within-stand and between-...

Development of lichen response indexes using a regional gradient modeling approach for large-scale monitoring of forests

Treesearch

Susan Will-Wolf; Peter Neitlich

2010-01-01

Development of a regional lichen gradient model from community data is a powerful tool to derive lichen indexes of response to environmental factors for large-scale and long-term monitoring of forest ecosystems. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service includes lichens in its national inventory of forests of...

Changing patterns in water toxicity associated with current use pesticides in three California agriculture regions.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Deng, Xin; Geraci, Jeff; Worcester, Karen; Tjeerdema, Ron S

2018-03-01

Regulation of agriculture irrigation water discharges in California, USA, is assessed and controlled by its 9 Regional Water Quality Control Boards under the jurisdiction of the California State Water Resources Control Board. Each Regional Water Board has developed programs to control pesticides in runoff as part of the waste discharge requirements implemented through each region's Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. The present study assessed how pesticide use patterns differ in the Imperial (Imperial County) and the Salinas and Santa Maria (Monterey County) valleys, which host 3 of California's prime agriculture areas. Surface-water toxicity associated with current use pesticides was monitored at several sites in these areas in 2014 and 2015, and results were linked to changes in pesticide use patterns in these areas. Pesticide use patterns appeared to coincide with differences in the way agriculture programs were implemented by the 2 respective Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and these programs differed in the 2 Water Board Regions. Different pesticide use patterns affected the occurrence of pesticides in agriculture runoff, and this influenced toxicity test results. Greater detection frequency and higher concentrations of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos were detected in agriculture runoff in Imperial County compared to Monterey County, likely due to more rigorous monitoring requirements for growers using this pesticide in Monterey County. Monterey County agriculture runoff contained toxic concentrations of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticides, which impacted amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midge larvae (Chironomus dilutus) in toxicity tests. Study results illustrate how monitoring strategies need to evolve as regulatory actions affect change in pesticide use and demonstrate the importance of using toxicity test indicator species appropriate for the suite of contaminants in runoff in order to accurately assess environmental risk. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:270-281. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Enterprise tools to promote interoperability: MonitoringResources.org supports design and documentation of large-scale, long-term monitoringprograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weltzin, J. F.; Scully, R. A.; Bayer, J.

2016-12-01

Individual natural resource monitoring programs have evolved in response to different organizational mandates, jurisdictional needs, issues and questions. We are establishing a collaborative forum for large-scale, long-term monitoring programs to identify opportunities where collaboration could yield efficiency in monitoring design, implementation, analyses, and data sharing. We anticipate these monitoring programs will have similar requirements - e.g. survey design, standardization of protocols and methods, information management and delivery - that could be met by enterprise tools to promote sustainability, efficiency and interoperability of information across geopolitical boundaries or organizational cultures. MonitoringResources.org, a project of the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership, provides an on-line suite of enterprise tools focused on aquatic systems in the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States. We will leverage on and expand this existing capacity to support continental-scale monitoring of both aquatic and terrestrial systems. The current stakeholder group is focused on programs led by bureaus with the Department of Interior, but the tools will be readily and freely available to a broad variety of other stakeholders. Here, we report the results of two initial stakeholder workshops focused on (1) establishing a collaborative forum of large scale monitoring programs, (2) identifying and prioritizing shared needs, (3) evaluating existing enterprise resources, (4) defining priorities for development of enhanced capacity for MonitoringResources.org, and (5) identifying a small number of pilot projects that can be used to define and test development requirements for specific monitoring programs.

Monitoring post-fire vegetation rehabilitation projects: A common approach for non-forested ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wirth, Troy A.; Pyke, David A.

2007-01-01

Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ES&R) and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) treatments are short-term, high-intensity treatments designed to mitigate the adverse effects of wildfire on public lands. The federal government expends significant resources implementing ES&R and BAER treatments after wildfires; however, recent reviews have found that existing data from monitoring and research are insufficient to evaluate the effects of these activities. The purpose of this report is to: (1) document what monitoring methods are generally used by personnel in the field; (2) describe approaches and methods for post-fire vegetation and soil monitoring documented in agency manuals; (3) determine the common elements of monitoring programs recommended in these manuals; and (4) describe a common monitoring approach to determine the effectiveness of future ES&R and BAER treatments in non-forested regions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure effectiveness of ES&R treatments are used by federal land management agencies. Quantitative methods are used in the field depending on factors such as funding, personnel, and time constraints. There are seven vegetation monitoring manuals produced by the federal government that address monitoring methods for (primarily) vegetation and soil attributes. These methods vary in their objectivity and repeatability. The most repeatable methods are point-intercept, quadrat-based density measurements, gap intercepts, and direct measurement of soil erosion. Additionally, these manuals recommend approaches for designing monitoring programs for the state of ecosystems or the effect of management actions. The elements of a defensible monitoring program applicable to ES&R and BAER projects that most of these manuals have in common are objectives, stratification, control areas, random sampling, data quality, and statistical analysis. The effectiveness of treatments can be determined more accurately if data are gathered using an approach that incorporates these six monitoring program design elements and objectives, as well as repeatable procedures to measure cover, density, gap intercept, and soil erosion within each ecoregion and plant community. Additionally, using a common monitoring program design with comparable methods, consistently documenting results, and creating and maintaining a central database for query and reporting, will ultimately allow a determination of the effectiveness of post-fire rehabilitation activities region-wide.

Forest health monitoring: National status, trends, and analysis 2012

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2014-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2011

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2013-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2010

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2013-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Groundwater monitoring program plan and conceptual site model for the Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center in Iraq.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Copland, John Robin; Cochran, John Russell

2013-07-01

The Radiation Protection Center of the Iraqi Ministry of Environment is developing a groundwater monitoring program (GMP) for the Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center located near Baghdad, Iraq. The Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center was established in about 1960 and is currently being cleaned-up and decommissioned by Iraqs Ministry of Science and Technology. This Groundwater Monitoring Program Plan (GMPP) and Conceptual Site Model (CSM) support the Radiation Protection Center by providing: A CSM describing the hydrogeologic regime and contaminant issues, recommendations for future groundwater characterization activities, and descriptions of the organizational elements of a groundwater monitoring program. The Conceptual Site Model identifiesmore » a number of potential sources of groundwater contamination at Al-Tuwaitha. The model also identifies two water-bearing zones (a shallow groundwater zone and a regional aquifer). The depth to the shallow groundwater zone varies from approximately 7 to 10 meters (m) across the facility. The shallow groundwater zone is composed of a layer of silty sand and fine sand that does not extend laterally across the entire facility. An approximately 4-m thick layer of clay underlies the shallow groundwater zone. The depth to the regional aquifer varies from approximately 14 to 17 m across the facility. The regional aquifer is composed of interfingering layers of silty sand, fine-grained sand, and medium-grained sand. Based on the limited analyses described in this report, there is no severe contamination of the groundwater at Al-Tuwaitha with radioactive constituents. However, significant data gaps exist and this plan recommends the installation of additional groundwater monitoring wells and conducting additional types of radiological and chemical analyses.« less

G-REALM: A lake/reservoir monitoring tool for drought monitoring and water resources management.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkett, C. M.; Ricko, M.; Beckley, B. D.; Yang, X.; Tetrault, R. L.

2017-12-01

G-REALM is a NASA/USDA funded operational program offering water-level products for lakes and reservoirs and these are currently derived from the NASA/CNES Topex/Jason series of satellite radar altimeters. The main stakeholder is the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) though many other end-users utilize the products for a variety of interdisciplinary science and operational programs. The FAS utilize the products within their CropExplorer Decision Support System (DSS) to help assess irrigation potential, and to monitor both short-term (agricultural) and longer-term (hydrological) drought conditions. There is increasing demand for a more global monitoring service that in particular, captures the variations in the smallest (1 to 100km2) reservoirs and water holdings in arid and semi-arid regions. Here, water resources are critical to both agriculture and regional security. A recent G-REALM 10-day resolution product upgrade and expansion has allowed for more accurate lake level products to be released and for a greater number of water bodies to be monitored. The next program phase focuses on the exploration of the enhanced radar altimeter data sets from the Cryosat-2 and Sentinel-3 missions with their improved spatial resolution, and the expansion of the system to the monitoring of 1,000 water bodies across the globe. In addition, a new element, the monitoring of surface water levels in wetland zones, is also being introduced. This aims to satisfy research and stakeholder requirements with respect to programs examining the links between inland fisheries catch potential and declining water levels, and to those monitoring the delicate balance between water resources, agriculture, and fisheries management in arid basins.

EMAP WESTERN UNITED STATES LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZATION NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DATA BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is conducting a pilot study in the western United States. This study will advance the science of ecological monitoring and demonstrate techniques for regional-scale asse...

Studies of the San Francisco Bay, California, estuarine ecosystem regional monitoring program results, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baylosis, Jelriza I.; Edmunds, Jody L.; Cole, Brian E.; Cloern, James E.

1997-01-01

As part of a regional monitoring program, water samples were collected in the San Francisco Bay estuary during 21 cruises from January through December 1996. Conductivity, temperature, light attenuation, turbidity, oxygen, and in-vivo chlorophyll fluorescence were measured longitudinally and vertically in the main channel of the estuary from south of the Dumbarton Bridge in the southern part of the Bay to Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. Discrete water samples were analyzed for chlorophyll a, phaeopigments, suspended participate matter, and dissolved oxygen. Water density was calculated from salinity, temperature, and pressure (depth), and is included in the data summaries.

Key Scientific and Policy- and Health-Relevant Findings from EPA's Particulate Matter Supersites Program and Related Studies: An Integration and Synthesis of Results.

EPA Science Inventory

In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a major air quality program, known as the Particulate Matter (PM) Supersites Program. The Supersites Program was a multi year, $27 million air quality monitoring program consisting of eight regional air quality projects...

Monitoring for Adaptive Management in Coniferous Forests of the Northern Rockies

Treesearch

Jock S. Young; John R. Hoffland; Richard L. Hutto

2005-01-01

Monitoring can and should be much more than the effort to track population trends; it can be a proactive effort to understand the effects of human activities on bird populations. It should be an integral part of the adaptive management process. With this in mind, the Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program has a dual focus: (1) to monitor long-term bird population...

Designing a high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Pellerin, Brian A.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the third in a series of three reports that provide information about how high-frequency (HF) nutrient monitoring may be used to assess nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to provide the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta. For three example network designs, we assess how they would address high-priority questions that have been identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Kraus and others, 2017; Downing and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for both fixed station and spatial assessments. Finally, it presents numerous examples of how HF measurements are currently (2017) being used in the Delta to examine how nutrients and nutrient cycling are related to aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the north Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently (2017) operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales, such as within a few hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF monitoring is necessary for understanding and assessing flux-based processes and outcomes in Delta tidal environments.

Comparison between In-house developed and Diamond commercial software for patient specific independent monitor unit calculation and verification with heterogeneity corrections.

PubMed

Kuppusamy, Vijayalakshmi; Nagarajan, Vivekanandan; Jeevanandam, Prakash; Murugan, Lavanya

2016-02-01

The study was aimed to compare two different monitor unit (MU) or dose verification software in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using modified Clarkson's integration technique for 6 MV photons beams. In-house Excel Spreadsheet based monitor unit verification calculation (MUVC) program and PTW's DIAMOND secondary check software (SCS), version-6 were used as a secondary check to verify the monitor unit (MU) or dose calculated by treatment planning system (TPS). In this study 180 patients were grouped into 61 head and neck, 39 thorax and 80 pelvic sites. Verification plans are created using PTW OCTAVIUS-4D phantom and also measured using 729 detector chamber and array with isocentre as the suitable point of measurement for each field. In the analysis of 154 clinically approved VMAT plans with isocentre at a region above -350 HU, using heterogeneity corrections, In-house Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS showed good agreement TPS. The overall percentage average deviations for all sites were (-0.93% + 1.59%) and (1.37% + 2.72%) for In-house Excel Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS respectively. For 26 clinically approved VMAT plans with isocentre at a region below -350 HU showed higher variations for both In-house Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS. It can be concluded that for patient specific quality assurance (QA), the In-house Excel Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS can be used as a simple and fast accompanying to measurement based verification for plans with isocentre at a region above -350 HU. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns of water-quality variability in San Francisco Bay during the first six years of the regional monitoring program, 1993-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, J.E.; Cole, B.E.; Edmunds, J.L.; Schraga, T.S.; Arnsberg, A.

2000-01-01

Monitoring Results presents data from the Status and Trends portion of the 1998 San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP). A list of reports on Pilot and Special Studies, as well as other RMP related activities can be found at the end of this document. These reports provide perspective and insight on important contaminant issues identified by the RMP, and they describe results from projects that took advantage of RMP field operations. For a summary of the conditions of the Estuary see The Pulse . A print copy may also be ordered by contacting the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). In 1998, the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) and seventy-three federal, state, and local agencies and companies participated in the RMP as funders and service providers (Table 1.1). Participants also assist in directing the Program through input or participation on the Steering and Technical Review Committees. The RMP’s overall goal is to provide data and interpretation that helps to address certain information needs of the Regional Board. In general, these efforts fall under five major objectives which provide a framework for efforts to respond to more specific management questions. 1. Describe patterns and trends in contaminant concentration and distribution. 2. Describe general sources and loadings of contamination to the Estuary. 3. Measure contaminant effects on selected parts of the Estuary ecosystem. 4. Compare monitoring information to relevant water quality objectives and other guidelines. 5. Synthesize and distribute information from a range of sources to present a more complete picture of the sources, distribution, fates, and effects of contaminants in the Estuary ecosystem.

CONTAMINATION OF FISH IN STREAMS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION: AN APPROACH TO REGIONAL INDICATOR SELECTION AND WILDLIFE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The extent of contamination of fish in the Mid-Atlantic Region was evaluated as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Monitoring and Assessment Program's regional assessment in 1993 through 1994. Fish assemblages from wadeable streams were dominated by small, short-...

DISTRIBUTION OF MERCURY IN USEPA REGION IX R-EMAP STUDY AREAS

EPA Science Inventory

Mercury distribution within U .S. EP A Region IX Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) study units is associated with geology and land-use practices. Stream water and sediment data indicate mercury is mobilized from weathering of ore bearing rock, and ...

Forest health monitoring: 2008 national technical report

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report has three objectives: (1) to present forest health status and trends from a national or a multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, (2) to introduce new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and (3) to report results of recently completed evaluation monitoring...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Call, Justin

This contract report is one of a series of reports that document implementation components of the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) funded project: Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (ISEMP - BPA project No.2003-017-00, Chris Jordan, NOAA-NWFSC project sponsor). Other components of the project are separately reported, as explained below. The ISEMP project has been created as a cost effective means of developing protocols and new technologies, novel indicators, sample designs, analytical data management, communication tools and skills, and restoration experiments that support the development of a region-wide Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RME) program to assess the status of anadromous salmonidsmore » populations, their tributary habitat and restoration and management actions. The most straightforward approach to developing a regional-scale monitoring and evaluation program would be to increase standardization among status and trend monitoring programs. However, the diversity of species and their habitat, as well as the overwhelming uncertainty surrounding indicators, metrics, and data interpretation methods requires the testing of multiple approaches. Thus, ISEMP has adopted an approach to develop a broad template that may differ in the details among subbasins, but one that will ultimately lead to the formation of a unified RME process for the management of anadromous salmonid populations and habitat across the Columbia River Basin. ISEMP has been initiated in three pilot areas, the Wenatchee/Entiat, John Day, and Salmon. To balance replicating experimental approaches with the goal of developing monitoring and evaluation tools that apply as broadly as possible across the Pacific Northwest, these subbasins were chosen as representative of a wide range of potential challenges and conditions, e.g., differing fish species composition and life histories, ecoregions, institutional settings, and existing data. ISEMP has constructed a framework that builds on current status and trend monitoring infrastructures in these pilot subbasins, but challenges current programs by testing alternative monitoring approaches. In addition, the ISEMP is: (1) Collecting information over a hierarchy of spatial scales, allowing for a greater flexibility of data aggregation for multi-scale recovery planning assessments, and (2) Designing methods that: (a) Identify factors limiting fish production in watersheds; (b) Determine restoration actions to address these problems; (c) Implement actions as a large-scale experiment (e.g. Before After Control Impact, or BACI design), and (d) Implement intensive monitoring and research to evaluate the action's success. The intent of the ISEMP project is to design monitoring programs that can efficiently collect information to address multiple management objectives over a broad range of scales. This includes: Evaluating the status of anadromous salmonids and their habitat; Identifying opportunities to restore habitat function and fish performance, and Evaluating the benefits of the actions to the fish populations across the Columbia River Basin. The multi-scale nature of this goal requires the standardization of protocols and sampling designs that are statistically valid and powerful, properties that are currently inconsistent across the multiple monitoring programs in the region. Other aspects of the program will aid in the ability to extrapolate information beyond the study area, such as research to elucidate causal mechanisms, and a classification of watersheds throughout the Columbia River Basin. Obviously, the scale of the problem is immense and the ISEMP does not claim to be the only program working towards this goal. As such, ISEMP relies heavily on the basin's current monitoring infrastructure to test and develop monitoring strategies, while acting as a coordinating body and providing support for key elements such as data management and technical analyses. The ISEMP also ensures that monitoring programs can address large-scale management objectives (resulting largely from the ESA) through these local efforts. While the ISEMP maintains a regional focus it also returns the necessary information to aid in management at the smaller spatial scales (individual projects) where manipulations (e.g., habitat restoration actions) actually occur. The work captured in this report is a component of the overall ISEMP, and while it stands alone as an important contribution to the management of anadromous salmonids and their habitat, it also plays a key role within ISEMP. Each component of work within ISEMP is reported on individually, as is done so here, and in annual and triennial summary reports that present all of the overall project components in their programmatic context and shows how the data and tools developed can be applied to the development of regionally consistent, efficient and effective Research, Monitoring and Evaluation.« less

75 FR 20812 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northwest Region Pacific Whiting Shoreside...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-21

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northwest Region Pacific Whiting Shoreside Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting Program AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice...

SERVIR: The Regional Visualization and Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irwin, Daniel E.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the SERVIR program. SERVIR is a partnership between NASA and USAID and three international nodes: Central America, Africa, and the Himalaya region. SERVIR,using satellite observations and ground based observations, is used by decision makers to allow for improved monitoring of air quality, extreme weather, biodiversity, and changes in land cove and has also been used to respond to environmental threats, such as wildfires, floods, landslides, harmful algal blooms, and earthquakes.

EMAP WESTERN UNITED STATES LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZATION SOUTHERN ROCKIES PILOT STUDY AREA DATA AND PRODUCT BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is conducting a pilot study in the western United States. This study will advance the science of ecological monitoring and demonstrate techniques for regional-scale assessme...

EMAP WESTERN UNITED STATES LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZATION NORTHWEST OREGON PILOT STUDY AREA DATA AND PRODUCT BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is conducting a pilot study in the western United States. This study will advance the science of ecological monitoring and demonstrate techniques for regional-scale assessme...

Case studies of capacity building for biodiversity monitoring: Chapter 13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmeller, Dirk S.; Arvanitidis, Christos; Böhm, Monika; Brummitt, Neil; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Costello, Mark J.; Ding, Hui; Gill, Michael J.; Haase, Peter; Juillard, Romain; García-Moreno, Jaime; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Peng, Cui; Riginos, Corinna; Schmiedel, Ute; Simaika, John P.; Waterman, Carly; Wu, Jun; Xu, Haigen; Belnap, Jayne; Walters, Michele; Scholes, Robert J.

2017-01-01

Monitoring the status and trends of species is critical to their conservation and management. However, the current state of biodiversity monitoring is insufficient to detect such for most species and habitats, other than in a few localised areas. One of the biggest obstacles to adequate monitoring is the lack of local capacity to carry out such programs. Thus, building the capacity to do such monitoring is imperative. We here highlight different biodiversity monitoring efforts to illustrate how capacity building efforts are being conducted at different geographic scales and under a range of resource, literacy, and training constraints. Accordingly, we include examples of monitoring efforts from within countries (Kenya, France, and China), within regions (Central America and the Arctic) and larger capacity building programs including EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) of Existence and the National Red List Alliance.

Applications of Satellite Ocean Color Imagery for Detecting and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Olympic Peninsula Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holt, Ashley C.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Tomlinson, Michelle C.

2003-08-01

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) attributed to Pseudo-nitzschia species, a diatom that produces Domoic acid, are a common occurrence and serious threat along the coast of the US Northwest. Monitoring these events or providing advanced warning of their occurrence at the coast would provide an important aid to fisheries managers. Remote sensing, which is being used in the Gulf of Mexico for HAB detection and forecasting (of a different algae), could provide a tool for monitoring and warnings. Chlorophyll and SST imagery are being used to support a research and monitoring program for the region, and HAB monitoring techniques used inmore » the Gulf of Mexico are being examined for their potential utility along the Washington coast. The focus of this study is to determine the efficacy of using satellite ocean color imagery for HAB monitoring off of Washingtons Olympic Peninsula region, and to provide support in the form of ocean color imagery products for management and mitigation efforts.« less

ASSESSING FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION ON A REGIONAL SCALE

EPA Science Inventory

The selection of target fish species for assessing the extent of fish tissue contaminants is a critical consideration in regional stream surveys such as the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The ideal species would be widely distributed and common, bioaccumu...

LOOP marine and estuarine monitoring program, 1978-95 : volume 3 : physical hydrography.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The complex region of interest is associated with the Mississippi River deltaic plain. The estuarine portion (Barataria Basin) has resulted from the subsidence of abandoned river distributaries and associated marsh; the offshore region is strongly in...

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF A REGION

EPA Science Inventory

The U .S. EP A's Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) program addresses the latter phases of an integrated ecological risk assessment (U .S. EP A 1998) by building on available monitoring data, focusing on synthesizing information on spatial patterns, analyzing and displaying...

Decadal Changes In Benthic Community Measures In New York Harbor

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring in New York Harbor, NY, as part of the Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program has spanned a decade, and includes habitat and water quality measures and sediment contaminant levels from four sub-basins (Upper NY Harbor, Lower NY Harbor, Newark Bay, and...

Reflections on a vision for integrated research and monitoring after 15 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murdoch, Peter S.; McHale, Michael; Baron, Jill S.

2014-01-01

In May of 1998, Owen Bricker and his co-author Michael Ruggiero introduced a conceptual design for integrating the Nation’s environmental research and monitoring programs. The Framework for Integrated Monitoring and Related Research was an organizing strategy for relating data collected by various programs, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and by multiple science disciplines to solve complex ecological issues that individual research or monitoring programs were not designed to address. The concept nested existing intensive monitoring and research stations within national and regional surveys, remotely sensed data, and inventories to produce a collaborative program for multi-scale, multi-network integrated environmental monitoring and research. Analyses of gaps in data needed for specific issues would drive decisions on network improvements or enhancements. Data contributions to the Framework from existing networks would help indicate critical research and monitoring programs to protect during budget reductions. Significant progress has been made since 1998 on refining the Framework strategy. Methods and models for projecting scientific information across spatial and temporal scales have been improved, and a few regional pilots of multi-scale data-integration concepts have been attempted. The links between science and decision-making are also slowly improving and being incorporated into science practice. Experiments with the Framework strategy since 1998 have revealed the foundational elements essential to its successful implementation, such as defining core measurements, establishing standards of data collection and management, integrating research and long-term monitoring, and describing baseline ecological conditions. They have also shown us the remaining challenges to establishing the Framework concept: protecting and enhancing critical long-term monitoring, filling gaps in measurement methods, improving science for decision support, and integrating the disparate integrated science efforts now underway. In the 15 years since the Bricker and Ruggiero (Ecol Appl 8(2):326–329, 1998) paper challenged us with a new paradigm for bringing sound and comprehensive science to environmental decisions, the scientific community can take pride in the progress that has been made, while also taking stock of the challenges ahead for completing the Framework vision.

COMPLEMENTARY MONITORING DESIGNS TO DOCUMENT REGIONAL GRADIENTS, AND TEMPORTAL VARIATIONS OF DISSOLOVED OXYGEN IN ESTUARINE WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA National Coastal Assessment program is designed to address two broad questions: 1) what are the conditions of estuarine resources, how are they changing, and what causes those changes; 2) which monitoring designs, indicators, and protocols are appropriate for assessi...

What do you do with success? The science of scaling up a health systems strengthening intervention in Ghana.

PubMed

Phillips, James F; Awoonor-Williams, John Koku; Bawah, Ayaga A; Nimako, Belinda Afriyie; Kanlisi, Nicholas S; Sheff, Mallory C; Asuming, Patrick O; Kyei, Pearl E; Biney, Adriana; Jackson, Elizabeth F

2018-06-22

The completion of an implementation research project typically signals the end of research. In contrast, the Ghana Health Service has embraced a continuous process of evidence-based programming, wherein each research episode is followed by action and a new program of research that monitors and guides the utilization of lessons learned. This paper reviews the objectives and design of the most recent phase in this process, known as a National Program for Strengthening the Implementation of the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Initiative in Ghana (CHPS+). A mixed method evaluation strategy has been launched involving: i) baseline and endline randomized sample surveys with 247 clusters dispersed in 14 districts of the Northern and Volta Regions to assess the difference in difference effect of stepped wedge differential cluster exposure to CHPS+ activities on childhood survival, ii) a monitoring system to assess the association of changes in service system readiness with CHPS+ interventions, and iii) a program of qualitative systems appraisal to gauge stakeholder perceptions of systems problems, reactions to interventions, and perceptions of change. Integrated survey and monitoring data will permit multi-level longitudinal models of impact; longitudinal QSA data will provide data on the implementation process. A process of exchanges, team interaction, and catalytic financing has accelerated the expansion of community-based primary health care in Ghana's Upper East Region (UER). Using two Northern and two Volta Region districts, the UER systems learning concept will be transferred to counterpart districts where a program of team-based peer training will be instituted. A mixed method research system will be used to assess the impact of this transfer of innovation in collaboration with national and regional program management. This arrangement will generate embedded science that optimizes prospects that results will contribute to national CHPS reform policies and action.

Keeping tabs on seagrass beds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhl, D.E.; Sargent, F.J.; Leary, T.J.

1997-06-01

Seagrasses form the foundation of complex, fragile communities that include marine and estuarine animals, especially larval and juvenile fish, providing critical shelter and sustenance. Seagrasses also have a role in providing habitat for waterfowl, marine turtles and manimals. In addition, seagrasses improve water quality by stabilizing mobile sediments and converting some pollutants into plant biomass. The issue of propeller scarring or propeller dredging in seagrass beds has received much attention since 1990. The scarring of seagrass results from personal watercraft. Heightened interest has instigated numerous monitoring and mapping projects on propeller scarring and regrowth characteristics within seagrasses. The study areasmore » selected for this paper are located within Tampa Bay, Florida. Specifically, they are Shell Island and Miquel Bay. Spatial monitoring for the extent of seagrass scarring in the Tampa Bay region was conducted in two ways, a regional (general) approach and a site specific (detailed) approach. Regional monitoring assessed the status of seagrass in Tampa Bay and identified {open_quote}hot spots{close_quote}. After identifying {open_quote}hot spots{close_quote}, boat surveys were used to confirm or deny the initial assessment. This poster involves the design of a propeller scarring monitoring program using several methods: Hi8 video, digital cameras, film cameras, and differential GPS combined with Arcview. A pilot program to evaluate the adequacy of these monitoring devices and the recommendation of specific actions in areas of severe propeller scarring will be presented.« less

Space weather monitoring and forecasting in South America: products from the user requests to the development of regional magnetic indices and GNSS vertical error maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denardini, Clezio Marcos; Padilha, Antonio; Takahashi, Hisao; Souza, Jonas; Mendes, Odim; Batista, Inez S.; SantAnna, Nilson; Gatto, Rubens; Costa, D. Joaquim

On August 2007 the National Institute for Space Research started a task force to develop and operate a space weather program, which is kwon by the acronyms Embrace that stands for the Portuguese statement “Estudo e Monitoramento BRAasileiro de Clima Espacial” Program (Brazilian Space Weather Study and Monitoring program). The main purpose of the Embrace Program is to monitor the space climate and weather from sun, interplanetary space, magnetosphere and ionosphere-atmosphere, and to provide useful information to space related communities, technological, industrial and academic areas. Since then we have being visiting several different space weather costumers and we have host two workshops of Brazilian space weather users at the Embrace facilities. From the inputs and requests collected from the users the Embrace Program decided to monitored several physical parameters of the sun-earth environment through a large ground base network of scientific sensors and under collaboration with space weather centers partners. Most of these physical parameters are daily published on the Brazilian space weather program web portal, related to the entire network sensors available. A comprehensive data bank and an interface layer are under development to allow an easy and direct access to the useful information. Nowadays, the users will count on products derived from a GNSS monitor network that covers most of the South American territory; a digisonde network that monitors the ionospheric profiles in two equatorial sites and in one low latitude site; several solar radio telescopes to monitor solar activity, and a magnetometer network, besides a global ionospheric physical model. Regarding outreach, we publish a daily bulletin in Portuguese with the status of the space weather environment on the Sun, in the Interplanetary Medium and close to the Earth. Since December 2011, all these activities are carried out at the Embrace Headquarter, a building located at the INPE's main campus. Recently, we have release brand new products, among them, some regional magnetic indices and the GNSS vertical error map over South America. Contacting Author: C. M. Denardini (clezio.denardin@inpe.br)

Lessons learned from the National Medicare & You Education Program.

PubMed

Goldstein, E; Teichman, L; Crawley, B; Gaumer, G; Joseph, C; Reardon, L

2001-01-01

In fall 1998 CMS implemented the National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) to educate beneficiaries about their Medicare program benefits; health plan choices; supplemental health insurance; beneficiary rights, responsibilities, and protections; and health behaviors. CMS has been monitoring the implementation of the NMEP in six case study sites as well as monitoring each of the information channels for communicating with beneficiaries. This article describes select findings from the case studies, and highlights from assessment activities related to the Medicare & You handbook, the toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE Helpline, Internet, and Regional Education About Choices in Health (REACH).

Lessons Learned from the National Medicare & You Education Program

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Elizabeth; Teichman, Lori; Crawley, Barbara; Gaumer, Gary; Joseph, Catherine; Reardon, Leo

2001-01-01

In fall 1998 CMS implemented the National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) to educate beneficiaries about their Medicare program benefits; health plan choices; supplemental health insurance; beneficiary rights, responsibilities, and protections; and health behaviors. CMS has been monitoring the implementation of the NMEP in six case study sites as well as monitoring each of the information channels for communicating with beneficiaries. This article describes select findings from the case studies, and highlights from assessment activities related to the Medicare & You handbook, the toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE Helpline, Internet, and Regional Education About Choices in Health (REACH). PMID:12500359

Monitoring the shorebirds of North America: Towards a unified approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skagen, S.K.; Bart, J.; Andres, B.; Brown, S.; Donaldson, G.; Harrington, B.; Johnston, V.; Jones, S.L.; Morrison, R.I.G.

2003-01-01

The Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM) has recently developed a single blueprint for monitoring shorebirds in Canada and the United States in response to needs identified by recent shorebird conservation plans. The goals of PRISM are to: (1) estimate the size of breeding populations of 74 shorebird taxa in North America; (2) describe the distribution, abundance, and habitat relationships for these taxa; (3) monitor trends in shorebird population size; (4) monitor shorebird numbers at stopover locations, and; (5) assist local managers in meeting their shorebird conservation goals. The initial focus has been on developing methods to estimate trends in population size. A three-part approach for estimating trends includes: (1) breeding surveys in arctic, boreal, and temperate regions, (2) migration surveys, and (3) wintering surveys.

An inventory and monitoring plan for a Sonoran Desert ecosystem; Barry M. Goldwater Range-West

USGS Publications Warehouse

Villarreal, Miguel L.; van Riper, Charles; Lovich, Robert E.; Palmer, Robert L.; Nauman, Travis; Studd, Sarah E.; Drake, Sam; Rosenberg, Abigail S.; Malusa, Jim; Pearce, Ronald L.

2011-01-01

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma manages the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West, which encompasses approximately 2,800 square kilometers of Sonoran Desert habitat in southwestern Arizona. The Barry M. Goldwater Range is a major U.S. military installation designed as an air combat training location for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, but it also includes some of the most pristine desert habitat in the United States. In an effort to ensure the long-term viability of this unique natural resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan and Inventory and Monitoring Plan to guide natural resource management of the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West. This Inventory and Monitoring Plan provides a framework for long-term ecosystem monitoring on Barry M. Goldwater Range-West lands by identifying existing and potential threats to ecosystem function, prioritizing resources for monitoring, and providing information and protocols necessary to initiate a long-term ecosystem monitoring program. The Inventory and Monitoring Plan and related protocols were developed through extensive review of existing Sonoran Desert monitoring programs and monitoring literature and through a 2-day workshop with resource managers, monitoring experts, and other stakeholders. The Barry M. Goldwater Range-West Inventory and Monitoring Plan stresses the importance of regional monitoring partnerships and protocol standardization for understanding landscape-scale ecosystem changes in the Sonoran Desert; information and protocols contained within the plan may also be of interest to land managers engaged in large-scale ecosystem monitoring and adaptive management of other arid regions.

Evaluation of groundwater levels in the South Platte River alluvial aquifer, Colorado, 1953-2012, and design of initial well networks for monitoring groundwater levels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wellman, Tristan

2015-01-01

A network of candidate monitoring wells was proposed to initiate a regional monitoring program. Consistent monitoring and analysis of groundwater levels will be needed for informed decisions to optimize beneficial use of water and to limit high groundwater levels in susceptible areas. Finalization of the network will require future field reconnaissance to assess local site conditions and discussions with State authorities.

Evaluating Ambient Concentrations and Local Emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in the San Francisco Bay Area of California Using a Comprehensive Fixed-site and Mobile Monitoring Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, A.; Bower, J. P.; Martien, P. T.; Randall, S.; Young, A.; Hilken, H.; Stevenson, E.

2015-12-01

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (hence the Air District) is the greater San Francisco Bay metropolitan region's chief air quality regulatory agency. Aligning itself with Executive Order S-3-05, the Air District has set a goal to reduce the region's GHG emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by the year 2050. The Air District's 10-point Climate Action Work Program lays out the agency's priorities, actions and coordination with regional stakeholders. The Program has three core objectives: (1) to develop a technical and monitoring program to document the region's GHG sources and related emissions, (2) to implement a policy and rule-based approach to control and regulate GHG emissions, and finally, (3) to utilize local governance, incentives and partnerships to encourage GHG emissions reductions.As part of the technical program, the Air District has set up a long term, ambient GHG monitoring network at four sites. The first site is located north and upwind of the urban core at Bodega Bay by the Pacific Coast. It mostly receives clean marine inflow and serves as the regional background site. The other three sites are strategically located at regional exit points for Bay Area plumes that presumably contain GHG enhancements from local sources. These stations are at San Martin, located south of the San Jose metropolitan area; at Patterson Pass at the cross section with California's Central Valley; and at Bethel Island at the mouth of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At all sites, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are being measured continuously, along with combustion tracer CO and other air pollutants. The GHG measurements are performed with high precision and fast laser instruments (Picarro Inc). In the longer term, the network will allow the Air District to monitor ambient concentrations of GHGs and thus evaluate the effectiveness of its policy, regulation and enforcement efforts. We present data from the sites in their first few months of operation and demonstrate the efficacy and utility of this monitoring network. We also present our progress on the design and fabrication of a dedicated mobile GHG measurement platform (a research van) equipped with state of the art analyzers capable of measuring isotopic methane (13C - CH4), CH4, CO2 and also nitrous oxide (N2O) in ambient air at fast temporal rates.

The enhanced forest inventory and analysis program of the USDA forest service: historical perspective and announcements of statistical documentation

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; William A. Bechtold; Paul L. Patterson; Charles T. Scott; Gregory A. Reams

2005-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service has initiated a transition from regional, periodic inventories to an enhanced national FIA program featuring annual measurement of a proportion of plots in each state, greater national consistency, and integration with the ground sampling component of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program...

Modeling Trace Element Concentrations in the San Francisco Bay Estuary from Remote Measurement of Suspended Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Press, J.; Broughton, J.; Kudela, R. M.

2014-12-01

Suspended and dissolved trace elements are key determinants of water quality in estuarine and coastal waters. High concentrations of trace element pollutants in the San Francisco Bay estuary necessitate consistent and thorough monitoring to mitigate adverse effects on biological systems and the contamination of water and food resources. Although existing monitoring programs collect annual in situ samples from fixed locations, models proposed by Benoit, Kudela, & Flegal (2010) enable calculation of the water column total concentration (WCT) and the water column dissolved concentration (WCD) of 14 trace elements in the San Francisco Bay from a more frequently sampled metric—suspended solids concentration (SSC). This study tests the application of these models with SSC calculated from remote sensing data, with the aim of validating a tool for continuous synoptic monitoring of trace elements in the San Francisco Bay. Using HICO imagery, semi-analytical and empirical SSC algorithms were tested against a USGS dataset. A single-band method with statistically significant linear fit (p < 0.001) was chosen as the proxy for SSC values. The numerical models for WCT and the distribution ratio D were applied in MATLAB with terms to account for regional and seasonal effects, and results were used to calculate WCD. The modeled results were assessed against in situ data from the San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program. Quantile regression was used to evaluate model sensitivity to the distribution of regions, and outliers displaying regional aberrations were removed before robust regression was applied. Statistically significant and highly correlated results for WCT were found for 10 elements, with goodness of fit greater than or equal to that of the original models of seven elements. WCD was successfully modeled for six elements, with goodness of fit for each exceeding that of the original models. Concentrations of Arsenic, Iron, and Lead in the southern region of the Bay were found to exceed EPA water quality criteria for human health and aquatic life. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of monitoring programs using remote observation of trace element concentrations, and provide the foundation for investigation of pollutant sources and pathways over time.

[Modern problems of maintenance of hygienic safety of drinking water consumption at the regional level].

PubMed

Tulakin, A V; Tsyplakova, G V; Ampleeva, G P; Kozyreva, O N; Pivneva, O S; Trukhina, G M

Problems of hygienic reliability of the drinking water use in regions of the Russian Federation are observed in the article. The optimization of the water use was shown must be based on the bearing in mind of regional peculiarities of the shaping of water quality of groundwater and surface sources of the water use, taking into account of the effectiveness of regional water protection programs, programs for water treatment, coordination of the activity of economic entities and oversight bodies in the management of water quality on the basis of socio-hygienic monitoring. Regional problems requiring hygienic justification and accounting, include such issues as complex hydrological, hydrogeological, climatic and geographical conditions, pronouncement of the severity of anthropogenic pollution of sources of water supply, natural conditions of the shaping of water quality, efficiency of the water treatment. There is need in the improvement of the problems of the water quality monitoring, including with the use of computer technology, which allows to realize regional hygienic monitoring and spatial-temporal analysis of the water quality, to model the water quality management, to predict conditions of the water use by population in regions taking into account peculiarities of the current health situation. In the article there is shown the practicability of the so-called complex concept of multiple barriers suggesting the combined use of chemical oxidation and physical methods of the preparation of drinking water. It is required the further development of legislation for the protection of water bodies from pollution with the bigging up the status of sanitary protection zones; timely revision of the regulatory framework, establishing sanitary-epidemiological requirements to potable water and drinking water supply. The problem of the provision of the population with safe drinking water requires complex solution within the framework of the implementation of target programs adopted at the Federal and regional levels.

Halogen occultation experiment (HALOE) optical witness-plate program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Gale A.; Raper, James L.

1989-01-01

An optical witness plate program was implemented to monitor buildup of molecular contamination in the clean room during the assembly and testing of the Halogen Occulation Experiment (HALOE) instrument. Travel plates to monitor molecular contamination when the instrument is not in the clean room are also measured. The instrument technique is high-resolution transmission spectroscopy in the 3 micron spectral region using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Witness specimens of low index of refraction, infrared transmitting material are used for contaminant monitoring and for spectral signature analysis. Spectral signatures of possible molecular contamination are presented. No condensible volatile material contamination of HALOE optical witness specimens have yet been found.

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2013

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2014

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2016

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2017-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introducesnew techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2017

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2018-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest health monitoring: 2009 national technical report

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The annual national technical report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

REGIONAL SCALE EVIDENCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE WATER CHEMISTRY 1990 TO 2001

EPA Science Inventory

The main aim of the international UNECE monitoring program ICP Waters under the Convention of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) is to assess, on a regional basis, the degree and geographical extent of the impact of atmospheric pollution, in particular acidification,...

Applying 21st century tools to watersheds of the western US ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The webinar focused on ways that ToxCast high throughput screening data and the adverse outcome pathway framework, under development in the CSS program, can be used to prioritize environmental contaminants for monitoring and management. The webinar focused on ways that ToxCast high throughput screening data and the adverse outcome pathway framework, under development in the CSS program, can be used to prioritize environmental contaminants for monitoring and management. The work presented focused on case studies conducted in Region 8, in collaboration with EPA Region 8 and NEIC, as well as other federal (USGS, US FWS) and regional partners (Northern Colorado Plateau Network). The Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC) is a grass-roots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization comprised of world-class scientists and stakeholders with a shared interest in the source, fate, and physiological effects of contaminants of emerging concern (www.creec.net). As such, they represent an important group of stakeholders with an interest in applying the data, approaches, and tools that are being developed by the CSS program.

Monitoring challenges and innovative ideas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Neill, R.V.; Hunsaker, C.T.; Levine, D.A.

1990-01-01

Monitoring programs are difficult to design even when they focus on specific problems. Ecosystems are complex, and it is often impossible to predetermine what aspects of system structure or dynamics will respond to a specific insult. It is equally difficult to interpret whether a response is a stabilizing compensatory mechanism or a real loss of capacity to maintain the ecosystem. The problems are compounded in a broad monitoring program designed to assess ecosystem health'' at regional and continental scales. It is challenging in the extreme to monitor ecosystem response, at any scale, to past insults as well as an unknownmore » future array of impacts. The present paper will examine some of the fundamental issues and challenges raised by large-scale monitoring efforts. The challenges will serve as a framework and as an excuse to discuss several important topics in more detail. Following the discussion of challenges, we suggest some basic innovations that could be important across a range of monitoring programs. The innovations include integrative measures, innovative methodology, and creative interpretation. 59 refs., 1 tab.« less

Use of wetlands for water quality improvement under the USEPA Region V Clean Lakes Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landers, Judith C.; Knuth, Barbara A.

1991-03-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region V Clean Lakes Program employs artificial and modified natural wetlands in an effort to improve the water quality of selected lakes. We examined use of wetlands at seven lake sites and evaluated the physical and institutional means by which wetland projects are implemented and managed, relative to USEPA program goals and expert recommendations on the use of wetlands for water quality improvement. Management practices recommended by wetlands experts addressed water level and retention, sheet flow, nutrient removal, chemical treatment, ecological and effectiveness monitoring, and resource enhancement. Institutional characteristics recommended included local monitoring, regulation, and enforcement and shared responsibilities among jurisdictions. Institutional and ecological objectives of the National Clean Lakes Program were met to some degree at every site. Social objectives were achieved to a lesser extent. Wetland protection mechanisms and appropriate institutional decentralization were present at all sites. Optimal management techniques were employed to varying degrees at each site, but most projects lack adequate monitoring to determine adverse ecological impacts and effectiveness of pollutant removal and do not extensively address needs for recreation and wildlife habitat. There is evidence that the wetland projects are contributing to improved lake water quality; however, more emphasis needs to be placed on wetland protection and long-term project evaluation.

Monitoring programs to assess reintroduction efforts: A critical component in recovery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muths, E.; Dreitz, V.

2008-01-01

Reintroduction is a powerful tool in our conservation toolbox. However, the necessary follow-up, i.e. long-term monitoring, is not commonplace and if instituted may lack rigor. We contend that valid monitoring is possible, even with sparse data. We present a means to monitor based on demographic data and a projection model using the Wyoming toad (Bufo baxten) as an example. Using an iterative process, existing data is built upon gradually such that demographic estimates and subsequent inferences increase in reliability. Reintroduction and defensible monitoring may become increasingly relevant as the outlook for amphibians, especially in tropical regions, continues to deteriorate and emergency collection, captive breeding, and reintroduction become necessary. Rigorous use of appropriate modeling and an adaptive approach can validate the use of reintroduction and substantially increase its value to recovery programs. ?? 2008 Museu de Cie??ncies Naturals.

IMS Version 3 Student Data Base Maintenance Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, John R.

Computer routines that update the Instructional Management System (IMS) Version 3 student data base which supports the Southwest Regional Laboratory's (SWRL) student monitoring system are described. Written in IBM System 360 FORTRAN IV, the program updates the data base by adding, changing and deleting records, as well as adding and deleting…

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MACROINVERTEBRATE BIOTIC INTEGRITY INDEX (MBII) FOR REGIONALLY ASSESSING MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The multimetric Macroinvertebrate Biotic Integrity Index (MBII) was developed from data collected at 574 wadeable stream reaches in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region (MAHR) by the USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). Over 100 candidate metrics were eval...

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEX OF BIOTIC INTEGRITY FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION

EPA Science Inventory

From 1993 to 1996, fish assemblage data were collected from 309 wadeable streams in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Highlands region as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Stream sites were selected with a probabilistic sampl...

75 FR 59687 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

... among harvesters, processors, and coastal communities and monitors the ``economic stability for... Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab Economic Data Reports... CR Program's mandatory economic data collection report (EDR) used to assess the efficacy of the CR...

Regional efforts to promote forestry best management practices: a southern success story

Treesearch

Herb Nicholson; John Colberg; Hughes Simpson; Tom Gerow; Wib Owen

2016-01-01

The Southern Group of State Foresters has a long history of water resource protection efforts, providing leadership in BMP development, improvement, and implementation, enhancing state BMP programs, establishing effective partnerships, and standardizing an approach to consistently monitor implementation across the region.

Forest resources of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Treesearch

Larry T. DeBlander

2001-01-01

The Interior West Resource Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation (IWRIME) Program of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (formerly the Intermountain Research Station), as part of its national Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) duties, entered into a cooperative agreement with the Northern Region (Region 1) for the inventory of its...

Design and implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program: a United States example: understanding the limitations of using compliance-monitoring data to assess the water quality of a large river basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wangsness, David J.

1997-01-01

In the 1980s it was determined that existing ambient and compliance-monitoring data could not satisfactorily evaluate the results of hundreds of billions of dollars spent for water-pollution abatement in the United States. At the request of the US Congress, a new programme, the National Water-Quality Assessment, was designed and implemented by government agency, the US Geological Survey (USGS). The Assessment has reported status and trends in surface- and ground-water quality at national, regional, and local scales since 1991. The legislative basis for US monitoring and data-sharing policies are identified as well as the successive phases of the design and implementation of the USGS Assessment. Application to the Danube Basin is suggested. Much of the water-quality monitoring conducted in the United States is designed to comply with Federal and State laws mandated primarily by the Clean Water Act of 1987 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986. Monitoring programs generally focus on rivers upstream and downstream of point-source discharges and at water-supply intakes. Few data are available for aquifer systems, and chemical analyses are often limited to those constituents required by law. In most cases, the majority of the available chemical and streamflow data have provided the information necessary to meet the objectives of the compliance-monitoring programs, but do not necessarily provide the information requires for basin-wide assessments of the water quality at the local, regional, or national scale.

State survey of silviculture nonpoint source programs: a comparison of the 2000 northeastern and national results

Treesearch

Pamela J. Edwards; Gordon W. Stuart

2002-01-01

The National Association of State Foresters conducts surveys of silviculture nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control programs to measure progress and identify needs. The 2000 survey results are summarized here for the nation and for the 20-state northeastern region. Current emphasis of NPS pollution programs is on education, training, and monitoring. Educational...

PEPFAR/DOD/Pharmaccess/Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces HIV/AIDS Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

NACP National AIDS Control Program NGO Non Governmental Organization NLTP National Leprosy and TB Program NS National Service OIS...have an ongoing DOT-TB program monitored by the Regional Medical Officer, in line with the guidelines of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy ...and treatment, according to the guidelines of the NACP TB Unit and the National TB and Leprosy Programme (NTLP). 48 48 C Train medical officers

National forest cover monitoring in mainland South and Southeast Asia: method development and capacity building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyukavina, A.; Potapov, P.; Hansen, M.; Talero, Y.; Turubanova, S.; Pickering, J.; Pickens, A. H.; Quyen, N. H.; Spirovska Kono, M.

2017-12-01

Timely forest monitoring data produced following good practice guidance are required for national reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, national forest resource assessments, and monitoring for REDD+ projects. Remote sensing provides a cost-efficient supplement to national forest inventories, and is often the single viable source of data on forest extent for countries still in the process of establishing field-based inventories. Operational forest monitoring using remotely sensed data requires technical capacity to store, process, and analyze high volumes of satellite imagery. The University of Maryland Global Land Analysis and Discovery (UMD GLAD) lab possesses such technical capacity and is seeking to transfer it to national agencies responsible for forest reporting, national academic institutions, and NGOs. Our projects in South and Southeast Asia include regional forest monitoring in the lower Mekong region in support of the Regional Land Cover Monitoring System (funded by the NASA SERVIR program) and building capacity for forest monitoring in Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand (funded by the SilvaCarbon program). Our forest monitoring approach is a regional scale adaptation of methods developed for the global analysis (Hansen et al. 2013). The methodology to track large-scale clearing of natural forests (e.g. in Brazil and Indonesia) is well established; however, the methods for small-scale disturbance mapping and tree cover rotation assessment are still in development. In Bangladesh our mapping of tree cover change between 2000-2014 revealed that 54% of the tree canopy cover was outside forests, and the majority of canopy changes were smaller than 0.1 ha. Landsat's 30-m resolution was therefore insufficient to monitor changes in tree cover. By using a probability sample of high resolution (circa 1 m) imagery we were able to quantify change in tree canopy cover outside forests (including village woodlots, tree plantations and agroforestry) and in different forest types. Our result shows that while the net tree cover change in Bangladesh is rather small, the gross dynamics are significant and can vary by forest type.

9.0 Conclusions

Treesearch

Peter S. Murdoch; Jennifer C. Jenkins; Richard A. Birdsey

2008-01-01

The Delaware River Basin (DRB) CEMRI effort described in this document points to several opportunities for national and regional collaboration strategies that could greatly improve the interpretive power of our environmental monitoring programs.

How to Address a Global Problem with Earth Observations? Developing Best Practices to Monitor Forests Around the World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flores Cordova, Africa I.; Cherrington, Emil A.; Vadrevu, Krishna; Thapa, Rajesh Bahadur; Odour, Phoebe; Mehmood, Hamid; Quyen, Nguyen Hanh; Saah, David; Yero, Kadidia; Mamane, Bako;

National Forest Health Monitoring Program, Urban Forests Of Wisconsin: Pilot Monitoring Project 2002

Treesearch

Anne Buckelew Cumming; David Nowak; Daniel Twardus; Robert Hoehn; Manfred Mielke; Richard Rideout

2007-01-01

Trees in cities can contribute significantly to human health and environmental quality. Unfortunately, little is known about the urban forest resource and what it contributes locally, regionally, and nationally in terms of ecology, economy, and social well-being. To better understand this resource and its values, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,...

IDEA Fiscal Monitoring and Support Activities 2011-2012 Quick Reference Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Resource Center Program, 2011

2011-01-01

This Quick Reference Document is being distributed by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to provide RRCP state liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers with a summary of critical fiscal monitoring and support activities they may be involved in during calendar years 2011 and 2012. Like other documents in…

Environmental monitoring for public access and community tracking (EMPACT): Discussion of the program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engel-Cox, J.A.

1999-07-01

The Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) program is a unique initiative to provide time-relevant environmental information that is easily accessible and clearly communicated to residents in 86 of the nation's largest metropolitan areas. EMPACT is a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program to use innovative and time-relevant monitoring and communication technologies. President Clinton articulated his vision for right-to-know programs when he directed the EPA to provide local environmental information to communities. EPA Administrator Carol Browner created EMPACT and other programs to meet this vision, giving EMPACT the goal of providing timely, useful and accurate environmental andmore » public health information to all Americans. This paper is an analysis of the status of the EMPACT program during its first 2 years. EMPACT has launched 27 environmental monitoring and communication projects, including metropolitan grants, EPA Headquarter and Regional projects, and research activities. These projects are located in 37 states and 68 cities throughout the United States, and represent significant progress towards EMPACT's goal of reaching 86 major metropolitan areas throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico by 2001. These projects focus on five principles established by EPA Administrator Browner: using advanced technology and science, establishing partnerships, increasing public access to data, communicating useful action-oriented information, and establishing a framework for sharing monitoring techniques and data between projects.« less

Spatial and temporal ecological variability in the northern Gulf of Alaska: What have we learned since the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aderhold, Donna G. R.; Lindeberg, Mandy R.; Holderied, Kris; Pegau, W. Scott

2018-01-01

This special issue examines oceanographic and biological variability in the northern Gulf of Alaska region with an emphasis on recent monitoring efforts of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) and Herring Research and Monitoring (HRM) programs funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC). These programs are designed to improve our understanding of how changing environmental conditions affect Gulf of Alaska ecosystems and the long-term status of resources injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Long Term Baseline Atmospheric Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Mark A.

1975-01-01

Describes a program designed to measure the normal concentrations of certain chemical and physical parameters of the atmosphere so that quantitative estimates can be made of local, regional, and global pollution. (GS)

40 CFR 233.13 - Memorandum of Agreement with Regional Administrator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... administration and enforcement of the approved program. (3) Provisions addressing EPA and State roles and coordination with respect to compliance monitoring and enforcement activities. (4) Provisions addressing...

Evaporation loss and evaporation/transpiration partitioning from isotope-based monitoring of Canada's provincial and national river networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, J. J.; Birks, S. J.; Stadnyk, T.; Delavau, C. J.

2017-12-01

Stable isotopes of water have been measured since the 1990's as part of hydrometric monitoring programs within Canada's Water Survey of Canada gauging network and Alberta's Long-Term River Network. These datasets are being applied for hydrograph separation of streamflow sources, including rain, snow, groundwater, and surface water, as well as for estimation of watershed evaporation losses and evaporation/transpiration partitioning. Here we describe an innovative isotope mass balance approach, discuss benefits and limitations of the method, and present selected results that illustrate important regional trends in the contemporary hydrology of Canada. Overall, isotopes are shown to be useful for constraining water balance variations across regions with low monitoring density. Recommendations for future activities are identified, including regional comparisons with outputs from isotope-capable distributed hydrologic models.

Research to Support California Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croes, B. E.; Charrier-Klobas, J. G.; Chen, Y.; Duren, R. M.; Falk, M.; Franco, G.; Gallagher, G.; Huang, A.; Kuwayama, T.; Motallebi, N.; Vijayan, A.; Whetstone, J. R.

2016-12-01

Since the passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act in 2006, California state agencies have developed comprehensive programs to reduce both long-lived and short-lived climate pollutants. California is already close to achieving its goal of reducing greenhouse (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, about a 30% reduction from business as usual. In addition, California has developed strategies to reduce GHG emissions another 40% by 2030, which will put the State on a path to meeting its 2050 goal of an 80% reduction. To support these emission reduction goals, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission have partnered with NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) program on a comprehensive research program to identify and quantify the various GHG emission source sectors in the state. These include California-specific emission studies and inventories for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission sources; a Statewide GHG Monitoring Network for these pollutants integrated with the Los Angeles Megacities Carbon Project funded by several federal agencies; efforts to verify emission inventories using inversion modeling and other techniques; mobile measurement platforms and flux chambers to measure local and source-specific emissions; and a large-scale statewide methane survey using a tiered monitoring and measurement program, which will include satellite, airborne, and ground-level measurements of the various regions and source sectors in the State. In addition, there are parallel activities focused on black carbon (BC) and fluorinated gases (F-gases) by CARB. This presentation will provide an overview of results from inventory, monitoring, data analysis, and other research efforts on Statewide, regional, and local sources of GHG emissions in California.

The Coordination of Program Planning and Evaluation Systems for Occupational Education. Volume 1 Appendix: A Layman's Guide to the Reporting and Evaluation System for Occupational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pargament, Richard

The manuscript is a draft written in nontechnical terms, for the purpose of acquainting local and regional occupational administrators with RESOE's functional specifications and basic design concepts. Following a brief introduction is a description of what RESOE does, covering: evaluation of occupational programs; program monitoring and…

QUANTIFYING THE REGIONAL EFFECTS OF MINE DRAINAGE ON STREAM ECOLOGICAL CONDITION IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES FROM PROBABILITY SURVEY DATA

EPA Science Inventory

Runoff from both active and inactive metal mining has contaminated waters and sediments in the Southern Rockies Ecoregion. In 1994 and 1995, as part of its Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP), the USEPA conducted a probability survey of wadeable stre...

INDICATORS OF ECOLOGICAL STRESS AND THEIR EXTENT IN THE POPULATION OF NORTHEASTERN LAKES: A REGIONAL-SCALE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

One of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program's first projects was a survey of 345 lakes in the eight states of the Northeast, during summers of 1991-1996. This survey was the first regional-scale attempt to use a probability-based sampling design to collect biolog...

Forest resources of the Kootenai National Forest

Treesearch

Andrea M. Wilson; Patrick D. Miles

2000-01-01

THe Interior West Resource Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation (IWRIME) Program of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (formerly known as the Intermountain Research Station), as part of its national Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) duties, entered into a cooperative agreement with the Northern Region (Region 1) for the inventory of its...

The USA National Phenology Network: A national science and monitoring program for understanding climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weltzin, J.

2009-04-01

Patterns of phenology for plants and animals control ecosystem processes, determine land surface properties, control biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and affect food production, health, conservation, and recreation. Although phenological data and models have applications related to scientific research, education and outreach, agriculture, tourism and recreation, human health, and natural resource conservation and management, until recently there was no coordinated effort to understand phenology at the national scale in the United States. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN; www.usanpn.org), established in 2007, is an emerging and exciting partnership between federal agencies, the academic community, and the general public to establish a national science and monitoring initiative focused on phenology. The first year of operation of USA-NPN produced many new phenology products and venues for phenology research and citizen involvement. Products include a new web-site (www.usanpn.org) that went live in June 2008; the web-site includes a tool for on-line data entry, and serves as a clearinghouse for products and information to facilitate research and communication related to phenology. The new core Plant Phenology Program includes profiles for 200 vetted local, regional, and national plant species with descriptions and (BBCH-consistent) monitoring protocols, as well as templates for addition of new species. A partnership program describes how other monitoring networks can engage with USA-NPN to collect, manage or disseminate phenological information for science, health, education, management or predictive service applications. Project BudBurst, a USA-NPN field campaign for citizen scientists, went live in February 2008, and now includes over 3000 registered observers monitoring 4000 plants across the nation. For 2009 and beyond, we will initiate a new Wildlife Phenology Program, create an on-line clearing-house for phenology education and outreach, strengthen our national land surface phenology program, continue the development of regional phenology networks, and improve tools for data entry, download and visualization.

Development of a Land Use Mapping and Monitoring Protocol for the High Plains Region: A Multitemporal Remote Sensing Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, Kevin P.; Nellis, M. Duane

1996-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a practical protocol that employs multitemporal remotely sensed imagery, integrated with environmental parameters to model and monitor agricultural and natural resources in the High Plains Region of the United States. The value of this project would be extended throughout the region via workshops targeted at carefully selected audiences and designed to transfer remote sensing technology and the methods and applications developed. Implementation of such a protocol using remotely sensed satellite imagery is critical for addressing many issues of regional importance, including: (1) Prediction of rural land use/land cover (LULC) categories within a region; (2) Use of rural LULC maps for successive years to monitor change; (3) Crop types derived from LULC maps as important inputs to water consumption models; (4) Early prediction of crop yields; (5) Multi-date maps of crop types to monitor patterns related to crop change; (6) Knowledge of crop types to monitor condition and improve prediction of crop yield; (7) More precise models of crop types and conditions to improve agricultural economic forecasts; (8;) Prediction of biomass for estimating vegetation production, soil protection from erosion forces, nonpoint source pollution, wildlife habitat quality and other related factors; (9) Crop type and condition information to more accurately predict production of biogeochemicals such as CO2, CH4, and other greenhouse gases that are inputs to global climate models; (10) Provide information regarding limiting factors (i.e., economic constraints of pumping, fertilizing, etc.) used in conjunction with other factors, such as changes in climate for predicting changes in rural LULC; (11) Accurate prediction of rural LULC used to assess the effectiveness of government programs such as the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Conservation Reserve Program; and (12) Prediction of water demand based on rural LULC that can be related to rates of draw-down of underground water supplies.

Monitoring Birds in a Regional Landscape: Lessons from the Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey

Treesearch

Robert W. Howe; Amy T. Wolf; Tony Rinaldi

1995-01-01

The Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey represents one of the first systematic bird monitoring programs in a USDA National Forest. Volunteers visit approximately 500 permanently marked points biennially (250 each year) during a single weekend of mid-June. Results from the first 6 years provide a general inventory of the Forest's avifauna, documentation of...

Forest Health Monitoring in the Interior West: A baseline summary of forest issues, 1996-1999

Treesearch

Paul Rogers; David Atkins; Michelle Frank; Douglas Parker

2001-01-01

Although forest health may be difficult to define and measure, a strong demand exists for assessment of forest conditions at various state, regional, and national scales. Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) is a national program designed to measure the status, changes, and trends of forest conditions annually. This report presents a broad view of forest health issues...

Regional breeding bird monitoring in Western Great Lakes National Forests

Treesearch

JoAnn Hanowski; Jim Lind; Nick Danz; Gerald Niemi; Tim Jones

2005-01-01

We established breeding bird monitoring programs in three National Forests in northern Minnesota (Superior and Chippewa in 1991) and northern Wisconsin (Chequamegon in 1992). A total of 134, 169, and 132 stands (1,272 survey points) have been surveyed annually in these forests through 2002. We examined trends in relative abundance for 53 species in the Chequamegon, 51...

Air quality measurements and monitoring network in the Republic of Latvia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grinman, A.; Lyulko, J.; Dubrovskaja, R.

1996-12-31

The territory of Latvia is covered with a wide environmental monitoring network, that falls under 2 main categories: (1) regional network featuring the region and involved in international monitoring programs, including EMEP, GAW, IM; (2) state network providing for local pollution monitoring of the atmosphere (19 posts), precipitation (5 station) and radioactivity (46 station). In 1994, measurements were made at 20 stationary posts located in Daugavpils (2), Jekabpils (2), Jurmala, (2), Liepaja (2), Nigrande (1), Olaine (1), Rezekne (1), Riga (5), Valn-dera (2), Ventspils (2). This atmospheric air observation network covers mostly towns densely populated with industrial objects and othermore » pollutant emitting sources. Thus, the observation programs encompass measurements of pollutants that have higher concentrations in the ambient air. Results indicate that the annual pollution dynamics are closely connected with concentration fluctuations in the seasons. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations increased during the heating season in Jekabpils, Jurmala and Valmiera, i.e., in the town that have many small heating installations. The data obtained allow to trace a dependence of measurement values upon the location of the observational posts vis-a-vis the pollutant emitting sources.« less

Risk management in air protection in the Republic of Croatia.

PubMed

Peternel, Renata; Toth, Ivan; Hercog, Predrag

2014-03-01

In the Republic of Croatia, according to the Air Protection Act, air pollution assessment is obligatory on the whole State territory. For individual regions and populated areas in the State a network has been established for permanent air quality monitoring. The State network consists of stations for measuring background pollution, regional and cross-border remote transfer and measurements as part of international government liabilities, then stations for measuring air quality in areas of cultural and natural heritage, and stations for measuring air pollution in towns and industrial zones. The exceeding of alert and information threshold levels of air pollutants are related to emissions from industrial plants, and accidents. Each excess represents a threat to human health in case of short-time exposure. Monitoring of alert and information threshold levels is carried out at stations from the state and local networks for permanent air quality monitoring according to the Air Quality Measurement Program in the State network for permanent monitoring of air quality and air quality measurement programs in local networks for permanent air quality monitoring. The State network for permanent air quality monitoring has a developed automatic system for reporting on alert and information threshold levels, whereas many local networks under the competence of regional and local self-governments still lack any fully installed systems of this type. In case of accidents, prompt action at all responsibility levels is necessary in order to prevent crisis and this requires developed and coordinated competent units of State Administration as well as self-government units. It is also necessary to be continuously active in improving the implementation of legislative regulations in the field of crises related to critical and alert levels of air pollutants, especially at local levels.

San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Rare Plant Monitoring Review and Revision

USGS Publications Warehouse

McEachern, Kathryn; Pavlik, Bruce M.; Rebman, Jon; Sutter, Rob

2007-01-01

Introduction The San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) was developed for the conservation of plants and animals in the south part of San Diego County, under the California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act of 1991 (California Department of Fish and Game) and the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S. Code 1531-1544.) The Program is on the leading edge of conservation, as it seeks to both guide development and conserve at-risk species with the oversight of both State and Federal agencies. Lands were identified for inclusion in the MSCP based on their value as habitat for at-risk plants or plant communities (Natural Community Conservation Planning, 2005). Since its inception in the mid-1990s the Program has protected over 100,000 acres, involving 15 jurisdictions and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) in the conservation of 87 taxa. Surveys for covered species have been conducted, and management and monitoring have been implemented at some high priority sites. Each jurisdiction or agency manages and monitors their conservation areas independently, while collaborating regionally for long-term protection. The San Diego MSCP is on the forefront of conservation, in one of the most rapidly growing urban areas of the country. The planning effort that developed the MSCP was state-of-the-art, using expert knowledge, spatial habitat modeling, and principles of preserve design to identify and prioritize areas for protection. Land acquisition and protection are ahead of schedule for most jurisdictions. Surveys have verified the locations of many rare plant populations known from earlier collections, and they provide general information on population size and health useful for further conservation planning. Management plans have been written or are in development for most MSCP parcels under jurisdictional control. Several agencies are developing databases for implementation and management tracking. In many ways this program is at the cutting edge of regional conservation, testing concepts, developing techniques, and demonstrating conservation effectiveness in new and uncharted ways. Periodic program review is crucial to the continued success of the program, as it moves from a phase of planning and acquisition to one of management and monitoring. Ecological monitoring is the key to assessing the success of the protection and management implemented at each individual reserve and for the MSCP as a whole. The ultimate goal of the Program is conservation of at-risk taxa and their habitats, as well as underlying ecological processes that contribute to sustainability of the ecosystem. Monitoring guidelines and timetables were developed by Ogden Environmental and Energy Services Co., Inc. (1996), and reviewed by Conservation Biology Institute (2001). The Program is in transition now, from the initial stage of land protection to one of land management and monitoring to determine population responses to management regimes. Several agencies have already invested substantial effort in status and trend monitoring, while others are developing their monitoring plans. Management is ongoing at several sites. With both management and monitoring, collaboration and coordination among jurisdictions can be especially fruitful in conserving resources and maximizing success.

Applications of satellite ocean color sensors for monitoring and predicting harmful algal blooms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stumpf, Richard P.

2001-01-01

The new satellite ocean color sensors offer a means of detecting and monitoring algal blooms in the ocean and coastal zone. Beginning with SeaWiFS (Sea Wide Field-of-view Sensor) in September 1997, these sensors provide coverage every 1 to 2 days with 1-km pixel view at nadir. Atmospheric correction algorithms designed for the coastal zone combined with regional chlorophyll algorithms can provide good and reproducible estimates of chlorophyll, providing the means of monitoring various algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico are particularly amenable to remote observation. The Gulf of Mexico has relatively clear water and K. brevis, in bloom conditions, tends to produce a major portion of the phytoplankton biomass. A monitoring program has begun in the Gulf of Mexico that integrates field data from state monitoring programs with satellite imagery, providing an improved capability for the monitoring of K. brevis blooms.

Flexible risk metrics for identifying and monitoring conservation-priority species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jessica C.; Semmens, Brice X.; McKann, Patrick C.; Will, Tom; Thogmartin, Wayne E.

2016-01-01

Region-specific conservation programs should have objective, reliable metrics for species prioritization and progress evaluation that are customizable to the goals of a program, easy to comprehend and communicate, and standardized across time. Regional programs may have vastly different goals, spatial coverage, or management agendas, and one-size-fits-all schemes may not always be the best approach. We propose a quantitative and objective framework for generating metrics for prioritizing species that is straightforward to implement and update, customizable to different spatial resolutions, and based on readily available time-series data. This framework is also well-suited to handling missing-data and observer error. We demonstrate this approach using North American Breeding Bird Survey (NABBS) data to identify conservation priority species from a list of over 300 landbirds across 33 bird conservation regions (BCRs). To highlight the flexibility of the framework for different management goals and timeframes we calculate two different metrics. The first identifies species that may be inadequately monitored by NABBS protocols in the near future (TMT, time to monitoring threshold), and the other identifies species likely to decline significantly in the near future based on recent trends (TPD, time to percent decline). Within the individual BCRs we found up to 45% (mean 28%) of the species analyzed had overall declining population trajectories, which could result in up to 37 species declining below a minimum NABBS monitoring threshold in at least one currently occupied BCR within the next 50 years. Additionally, up to 26% (mean 8%) of the species analyzed within the individual BCRs may decline by 30% within the next decade. Conservation workers interested in conserving avian diversity and abundance within these BCRs can use these metrics to plan alternative monitoring schemes or highlight the urgency of those populations experiencing the fastest declines. However, this framework is adaptable to many taxa besides birds where abundance time-series data are available.

A Great Lakes atmospheric mercury monitoring network: evaluation and design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risch, Martin R.; Kenski, Donna M.; ,; David, A.

2014-01-01

As many as 51 mercury (Hg) wet-deposition-monitoring sites from 4 networks were operated in 8 USA states and Ontario, Canada in the North American Great Lakes Region from 1996 to 2010. By 2013, 20 of those sites were no longer in operation and approximately half the geographic area of the Region was represented by a single Hg-monitoring site. In response, a Great Lakes Atmospheric Mercury Monitoring (GLAMM) network is needed as a framework for regional collaboration in Hg-deposition monitoring. The purpose of the GLAMM network is to detect changes in regional atmospheric Hg deposition related to changes in Hg emissions. An optimized design for the network was determined to be a minimum of 21 sites in a representative and approximately uniform geographic distribution. A majority of the active and historic Hg-monitoring sites in the Great Lakes Region are part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) in North America and the GLAMM network is planned to be part of the MDN. To determine an optimized network design, active and historic Hg-monitoring sites in the Great Lakes Region were evaluated with a rating system of 21 factors that included characteristics of the monitoring locations and interpretations of Hg data. Monitoring sites were rated according to the number of Hg emissions sources and annual Hg emissions in a geographic polygon centered on each site. Hg-monitoring data from the sites were analyzed for long-term averages in weekly Hg concentrations in precipitation and weekly Hg-wet deposition, and on significant temporal trends in Hg concentrations and Hg deposition. A cluster analysis method was used to group sites with similar variability in their Hg data in order to identify sites that were unique for explaining Hg data variability in the Region. The network design included locations in protected natural areas, urban areas, Great Lakes watersheds, and in proximity to areas with a high density of annual Hg emissions and areas with high average weekly Hg wet deposition. In a statistical analysis, relatively strong, positive correlations in the wet deposition of Hg and sulfate were shown for co-located NADP Hg-monitoring and acid-rain monitoring sites in the Region. This finding indicated that efficiency in regional Hg monitoring can be improved by adding new Hg monitoring to existing NADP acid-rain monitoring sites. Implementation of the GLAMM network design will require Hg-wet-deposition monitoring to be: (a) continued at 12 MDN sites active in 2013 and (b) restarted or added at 9 NADP sites where it is absent in 2013. Ongoing discussions between the states in the Great Lakes Region, the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (a regional planning entity), the NADP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey are needed for coordinating the GLAMM network.

Water Quality Assessment of DoD Installations/Facilities in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Phase 3. Volume 2. Overall Approach, Findings and Recommendations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Program. This program monitors water . quality at stations located in the Bush, Gunpowder, Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Magothy ...Western Shore include the Severn, Magothy , Patapsco, Middle, Back, Gunpowder, and Bush Rivers. They col- lectively drain 2.5% of the basin and

Assessment of Superflux relative to fisheries research and monitoring. [airborne remote sensing of the Chesapeake bay plume and shelf regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, J. P.

1981-01-01

Some of the findings of the Superflux program relative to fishery research and monitoring are reviewed. The actual and potential influences of the plume on the shelf ecosystem contiguous to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay are described and insights derived from the combined use of in situ and remotely sensed data are presented.

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2015

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2016-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi- State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Accelerated measles control in the Western Pacific region.

PubMed

McFarland, Jeffrey W; Mansoor, Osman David; Yang, Baoping

2003-05-15

By the 1990s, an immunization program in the western Pacific had dramatically reduced measles morbidity and mortality. Building on the region's successful elimination of polio, several countries and areas achieved or are close to measles elimination, thus showing the potential for global eradication. The diverse challenges for measles control in different parts of the region have produced lessons that will help with future control, including the need for surveillance of sufficient standard to guide and monitor progress. A group of experts recognized both the potential and the challenges of the measles immunization program and proposed regional elimination as the appropriate disease control target for the region. No date was recommended for its achievement. If progress continues at the present rate, the western Pacific region should soon be able to set a target date for measles elimination.

Monitoring survival rates of landbirds at varying spatial scales: An application of the MAPS Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberg, D.K.; DeSante, D.F.; Hines, J.E.; Bonney, Rick; Pashley, David N.; Cooper, Robert; Niles, Larry

2000-01-01

Survivorship is a primary demographic parameter affecting population dynamics, and thus trends in species abundance. The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program is a cooperative effort designed to monitor landbird demographic parameters. A principle goal of MAPS is to estimate annual survivorship and identify spatial patterns and temporal trends in these rates. We evaluated hypotheses of spatial patterns in survival rates among a collection of neighboring sampling sites, such as within national forests, among biogeographic provinces, and between breeding populations that winter in either Central or South America, and compared these geographic-specific models to a model of a common survival rate among all sampling sites. We used data collected during 1992-1995 from Swainson's Thrush (Cathorus ustulatus) populations in the western region of the United States. We evaluated the ability to detect spatial and temporal patterns of survivorship with simulated data. We found weak evidence of spatial differences in survival rates at the local scale of 'location,' which typically contained 3 mist-netting stations. There was little evidence of differences in survival rates among biogeographic provinces or between populations that winter in either Central or South America. When data were pooled for a regional estimate of survivorship, the percent relative bias due to pooling 'locations' was 12 years of monitoring. Detection of spatial patterns and temporal trends in survival rates from local to regional scales will provide important information for management and future research directed toward conservation of landbirds.

Implementation of New Technologies to Monitor Phytoplankton Blooms in the South of Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Benito, C.; Haag, C.; Alvial, A.

2004-05-01

A pilot project has been carried out to demonstrate the applicability of remote sensing in the Xth region of Chile, related to the monitoring of algal blooms. Most of the fish farms of the country are located in this area, where considerable economic losses for this activity are the consequence of algal blooms. The implementation of new technologies to monitor this natural disaster is one of the main goals of local institutions. The project has been developed using ENVISAT/MERIS and AATSR images and oceanographic instrumentation in order to improve the information of the ongoing coastal monitoring programs.

Forest inventory and analysis program in the Western U.S.

Treesearch

Ashley Lehman

2015-01-01

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service monitors and reports on the status and trends of the Pacific Island’s forest resources and ecosystem services. Since 2001 the FIA program has partnered with State and Private Forestry’s, Region 5 and the local governments in the U.S. Affiliated Western...

Forest inventory and analysis program in the Western U.S

Treesearch

Ashley Lehman

2015-01-01

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service monitors and reports on the status and trends of the Pacific Island’s forest resources and ecosystem services. Since 2001 the FIA program has partnered with State and Private Forestry’s, Region 5 and the local governments in the U.S. Affiliated Western...

Implementing OpenMRS for patient monitoring in an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in rural Mozambique.

PubMed

Manders, Eric-Jan; José, Eurico; Solis, Manuel; Burlison, Janeen; Nhampossa, José Leopoldo; Moon, Troy

2010-01-01

We have adopted the Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS) framework to implement an electronic patient monitoring system for an HIV care and treatment program in Mozambique. The program provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health supporting the scale up of integrated HIV care and support services in health facilities in rural resource limited settings. The implementation is in use for adult and pediatric programs, with ongoing roll-out to cover all supported sites. We describe early experiences in adapting the system to the program needs, addressing infrastructure challenges, creating a regional support team, training data entry staff, migrating a legacy database, deployment, and current use. We find that OpenMRS offers excellent prospects for in-country development of health information systems, even in severely resource limited settings. However, it also requires considerable organizational infrastructure investment and technical capacity building to ensure continued local support.

Transit grants : need for improved predictability, data, and monitoring in application processing

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-08-01

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides states, local and regional transportation providers, and others with grants for the construction, acquisition, improvement, and operation of transit systems and projects through a variety of programs....

Choosing optimum station configurations for summarizing water quality characteristics, in 1994 Annual Report, San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances: San Francisco Estuary Institute

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, James E.; Cole, Brian E.; Caffrey, J.M.

1996-01-01

In this report, we focus on selection of an “optimum” station configuration for the channel of San Francisco Bay for vertical profiling of water quality. Our analysis is based on the monthly cruises conducted by the USGS under the auspices of the Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (Caffrey et al. 1994; SFEI 1994). The underlying rationale for undertaking the analysis is that the distribution of trace substances is structured, at least in part, by the same forces acting on water quality parameters. This must be true to some extent, as trace substance concentrations are partially dependent on water quality characteristics such as salinity. On the other hand, the quantitative importance of these parameters in accounting for overall variability in individual trace substances is unknown. Furthermore, trace substances have their own unique sources, and these sources may dominate their distribution.

A framework for assessing cumulative effects in watersheds: an introduction to Canadian case studies.

PubMed

Dubé, Monique G; Duinker, Peter; Greig, Lorne; Carver, Martin; Servos, Mark; McMaster, Mark; Noble, Bram; Schreier, Hans; Jackson, Lee; Munkittrick, Kelly R

2013-07-01

From 2008 to 2013, a series of studies supported by the Canadian Water Network were conducted in Canadian watersheds in an effort to improve methods to assess cumulative effects. These studies fit under a common framework for watershed cumulative effects assessment (CEA). This article presents an introduction to the Special Series on Watershed CEA in IEAM including the framework and its impetus, a brief introduction to each of the articles in the series, challenges, and a path forward. The framework includes a regional water monitoring program that produces 3 core outputs: an accumulated state assessment, stressor-response relationships, and development of predictive cumulative effects scenario models. The framework considers core values, indicators, thresholds, and use of consistent terminology. It emphasizes that CEA requires 2 components, accumulated state quantification and predictive scenario forecasting. It recognizes both of these components must be supported by a regional, multiscale monitoring program. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

Tracking contaminants in seabirds of Arctic Canada: temporal and spatial insights.

PubMed

Mallory, Mark L; Braune, Birgit M

2012-07-01

Levels and trends of persistent organic pollutants and trace elements in seabirds breeding in the vast Canadian Arctic have been monitored since 1975. Data from this monitoring have indicated both spatial and temporal variation across the region, attributable in part to differences in species' diets, differences in regional deposition patterns, and unidirectional trends in contaminants reaching this area from emissions in temperate and tropical areas to the south. Seabird tissues have served as effective biomonitors to examine this variation, and national and international collaboration in this monitoring effort has promoted valuable synthetic assessments of spatial and temporal patterns in Arctic contaminants. Here we review the history of the monitoring program, the critical role played by Environment Canada's National Wildlife Specimen Bank, and we summarize important spatial and temporal trends in various contaminants in Canadian Arctic seabirds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance Metrics for Monitoring Parallel Program Executions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarukkai, Sekkar R.; Gotwais, Jacob K.; Yan, Jerry; Lum, Henry, Jr. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Existing tools for debugging performance of parallel programs either provide graphical representations of program execution or profiles of program executions. However, for performance debugging tools to be useful, such information has to be augmented with information that highlights the cause of poor program performance. Identifying the cause of poor performance necessitates the need for not only determining the significance of various performance problems on the execution time of the program, but also needs to consider the effect of interprocessor communications of individual source level data structures. In this paper, we present a suite of normalized indices which provide a convenient mechanism for focusing on a region of code with poor performance and highlights the cause of the problem in terms of processors, procedures and data structure interactions. All the indices are generated from trace files augmented with data structure information.. Further, we show with the help of examples from the NAS benchmark suite that the indices help in detecting potential cause of poor performance, based on augmented execution traces obtained by monitoring the program.

Habitat relationships of landbirds in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service

Treesearch

Richard L. Hutto; Jock S. Young

1999-01-01

A series of first-generation habitat-relationships models for 83 bird species were detected in a 3-year study on point counts conducted in association with the USDA Forest Service's Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program. The models depict probabilities of detection for each of the bird species on 100-m-radius, 10-minute point counts conducted across a series...

Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

2010-01-01

In 1990, the U.S. Congress enacted the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in response to growing awareness of a land loss crisis in Louisiana. Projects funded by CWPPRA require monitoring and evaluation of project effectiveness, and there is also a need to assess the cumulative effects of all projects to achieve a sustainable coastal environment. In 2003, the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration (OCPR) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) received approval from the CWPPRA Task Force to implement the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) as a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of CWPPRA projects at the project, region, and coastwide levels. The CRMS design implements a multiple reference approach by using aspects of hydrogeomorphic functional assessments and probabilistic sampling. The CRMS program is as dynamic as the coastal habitats it monitors. The program is currently funded through CWPPRA and provides data for a variety of user groups, including resource managers, academics, landowners, and researchers.

Monitoring of subsurface injection of wastes, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vecchioli, John

1979-01-01

Injection of waste liquids into Florida's subsurface is physically feasible in many places but should be accompanied by monitoring of the waste-receiving aquifer system in addition to the injection facility. Monitoring of the interaction of factors including hydrogeologic conditions, well construction, waste volumes and characteristics, and potable-water sources is desirable to assure that fresh-water resources are not being adversely affected. An effective aquifer-system monitoring program includes on-site wells located close to an injection well and open to the next-higher permeable stratum, satellite wells located hundreds to several thousands of feet from an injection well and open to the receiving aquifer, and regional wells located miles from individual injection wells and open to the receiving aquifer. An extensive aquifer-system monitoring program associated with two waste-injection facilities near Pensacola, Florida, has provided data which have aided hydrologists to understand the aquifer system's response to the injection and, accordingly, to evaluate the potential for affecting the area's fresh-water resources.

Conservation of northern bobwhite on private lands in Georgia, USA under uncertainty about landscape-level habitat effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, J.E.; Moore, C.T.; Conroy, M.J.; Hamrick, R.G.; Cooper, R.J.; Thackston, R.E.; Carroll, J.P.

2009-01-01

Large-scale habitat enhancement programs for birds are becoming more widespread, however, most lack monitoring to resolve uncertainties and enhance program impact over time. Georgia?s Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI) is a competitive, proposal-based system that provides incentives to landowners to establish habitat for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). Using data from monitoring conducted in the program?s first years (1999?2001), we developed alternative hierarchical models to predict bobwhite abundance in response to program habitat modifications on local and regional scales. Effects of habitat and habitat management on bobwhite population response varied among geographical scales, but high measurement variability rendered the specific nature of these scaled effects equivocal. Under some models, BQI had positive impact at both local farm scales (1, 9 km2), particularly when practice acres were clustered, whereas other credible models indicated that bird response did not depend on spatial arrangement of practices. Thus, uncertainty about landscape-level effects of management presents a challenge to program managers who must decide which proposals to accept. We demonstrate that optimal selection decisions can be made despite this uncertainty and that uncertainty can be reduced over time, with consequent improvement in management efficacy. However, such an adaptive approach to BQI program implementation would require the reestablishment of monitoring of bobwhite abundance, an effort for which funding was discontinued in 2002. For landscape-level conservation programs generally, our approach demonstrates the value in assessing multiple scales of impact of habitat modification programs, and it reveals the utility of addressing management uncertainty through multiple decision models and system monitoring.

Cyberpark 2000: Protected Areas Management Pilot Project. Satellite time series vegetation monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteleone, M.; Lanorte, A.; Lasaponara, R.

2009-04-01

Cyberpark 2000 is a project funded by the UE Regional Operating Program of the Apulia Region (2000-2006). The main objective of the Cyberpark 2000 project is to develop a new assessment model for the management and monitoring of protected areas in Foggia Province (Apulia Region) based on Information and Communication Technologies. The results herein described are placed inside the research activities finalized to develop an environmental monitoring system knowledge based on the use of satellite time series. This study include: - A- satellite time series of high spatial resolution data for supporting the analysis of fire static risk factors through land use mapping and spectral/quantitative characterization of vegetation fuels; - B- satellite time series of MODIS for supporting fire dynamic risk evaluation of study area - Integrated fire detection by using thermal imaging cameras placed on panoramic view-points; - C - integrated high spatial and high temporal satellite time series for supporting studies in change detection factors or anomalies in vegetation covers; - D - satellite time-series for monitoring: (i) post fire vegetation recovery and (ii) spatio/temporal vegetation dynamics in unburned and burned vegetation covers.

Ecological and toxicological responses in a multistressor scenario: Are monitoring programs showing the stressors or just showing stress? A case study in Brazil.

PubMed

López-Doval, Julio C; Meirelles, Sergio Tadeu; Cardoso-Silva, Sheila; Moschini-Carlos, Viviane; Pompêo, Marcelo

2016-01-01

The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) is located in the Brazilian State of São Paulo and reservoirs in this region are vital for water supply and energy production. Changes in economic, social, and demographic trends produced pollution of water bodies, decreasing water quality for human uses and affecting freshwater populations. The presence of emerging pollutants, classical priority substances, nutrient excess and the interaction with tropical-climate conditions require periodic reviews of water policies and monitoring programs in order to detect and manage these threats in a global change scenario. The objective of this work is to determine whether the monitoring program of the São Paulo's Environmental Agency, is sufficient to explain the toxicological and biological responses observed in organisms in reservoirs of the MRSP, and whether it can identify the possible agents causing these responses. For that, we used publicly available data on water quality compiled by this agency in their routine monitoring program. A general overview of these data and a chemometric approach to analyze the responses of biotic indexes and toxicological bioassays, as a function of the physical and chemical parameters monitored, were performed. Data compiled showed temporal and geographical information gaps on variables measured. Toxicological responses have been observed in the reservoirs of the MRSP, together with a high incidence of impairments of the zooplankton community. This demonstrates the presence of stressors that affect the viability of organisms and populations. The statistical approach showed that the data compiled by the environmental agency are insufficient to identify and explain the factors causing the observed ecotoxicological responses and impairments in the zooplankton community, and are therefore insufficient to identify clear cause-effect relationships. Stressors different from those analyzed could be responsible for the observed responses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-frequency remote monitoring of large lakes with MODIS 500 m imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCullough, Ian M.; Loftin, Cynthia S.; Sader, Steven A.

2012-01-01

Satellite-based remote monitoring programs of regional lake water quality largely have relied on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) owing to its long image archive, moderate spatial resolution (30 m), and wide sensitivity in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, despite some notable limitations such as temporal resolution (i.e., 16 days), data pre-processing requirements to improve data quality, and aging satellites. Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on Aqua/Terra platforms compensate for these shortcomings, although at the expense of spatial resolution. We developed and evaluated a remote monitoring protocol for water clarity of large lakes using MODIS 500 m data and compared MODIS utility to Landsat-based methods. MODIS images captured during May–September 2001, 2004 and 2010 were analyzed with linear regression to identify the relationship between lake water clarity and satellite-measured surface reflectance. Correlations were strong (R² = 0.72–0.94) throughout the study period; however, they were the most consistent in August, reflecting seasonally unstable lake conditions and inter-annual differences in algal productivity during the other months. The utility of MODIS data in remote water quality estimation lies in intra-annual monitoring of lake water clarity in inaccessible, large lakes, whereas Landsat is more appropriate for inter-annual, regional trend analyses of lakes ≥ 8 ha. Model accuracy is improved when ancillary variables are included to reflect seasonal lake dynamics and weather patterns that influence lake clarity. The identification of landscape-scale drivers of regional water quality is a useful way to supplement satellite-based remote monitoring programs relying on spectral data alone.

An assessment of invasive plant species monitored by the Northern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, 2005 through 2010

Treesearch

Cassandra M. Kurtz

2013-01-01

Invasive plant species are a worldwide concern due to the high ecological and economic costs associated with their presence. This document describes the plant characteristics and regional distribution of the 50 invasive plant species monitored from 2005 through 2010 on forested Phase 2 (P2) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots in the 24 states of the Northern...

Incorporating precision, accuracy and alternative sampling designs into a continental monitoring program for colonial waterbirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinkamp, Melanie J.; Peterjohn, B.G.; Keisman, J.L.

2003-01-01

A comprehensive monitoring program for colonial waterbirds in North America has never existed. At smaller geographic scales, many states and provinces conduct surveys of colonial waterbird populations. Periodic regional surveys are conducted at varying times during the breeding season using a variety of survey methods, which complicates attempts to estimate population trends for most species. The US Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has recently started to coordinate colonial waterbird monitoring efforts throughout North America. A centralized database has been developed with an Internet-based data entry and retrieval page. The extent of existing colonial waterbird surveys has been defined, allowing gaps in coverage to be identified and basic inventories completed where desirable. To enable analyses of comparable data at regional or larger geographic scales, sampling populations through statistically sound sampling designs should supersede obtaining counts at every colony. Standardized breeding season survey techniques have been agreed upon and documented in a monitoring manual. Each survey in the manual has associated with it recommendations for bias estimation, and includes specific instructions on measuring detectability. The methods proposed in the manual are for developing reliable, comparable indices of population size to establish trend information at multiple spatial and temporal scales, but they will not result in robust estimates of total population numbers.

NASA LCLUC Program: An Integrated Forest Monitoring System for Central Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laporte, Nadine; LeMoigne, Jacqueline; Elkan, Paul; Desmet, Olivier; Paget, Dominique; Pumptre, Andrew; Gouala, Patrice; Honzack, Miro; Maisels, Fiona

2004-01-01

Central Africa has the second largest unfragmented block of tropical rain forest in the world; it is also one of the largest carbon and biodiversity reservoirs. With nearly one-third of the forest currently allocated for logging, the region is poised to undergo extensive land-use change. Through the mapping of the forests, our Integrated Forest Monitoring System for Central Africa (INFORMS) project aims to monitor habitat alteration, support biodiversity conservation, and promote better land-use planning and forest management. Designed as an interdisciplinary project, its goal is to integrate data acquired from satellites with field observations from forest inventories, wildlife surveys, and socio-economic studies to map and monitor forest resources. This project also emphasizes on collaboration and coordination with international, regional, national, and local partners-including non-profit, governmental, and commercial sectors. This project has been focused on developing remote sensing products for the needs of forest conservation and management, insuring that research findings are incorporated in forest management plans at the national level. The societal impact of INFORMS can be also appreciated through the development of a regional remote sensing network in central Africa. With a regional office in Kinshasa, (www.OSFAC.org), the contribution to the development of forest management plans for 1.5 million hectares of forests in northern Republic of Congo (www.tt-timber.com), and the monitoring of park encroachments in the Albertine region (Uganda and DRC) (www.albertinerift.org).

COMPARISON OF USEPA FIELD SAMPLING METHODS FOR BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) macroinvertebrate sampling protocols were compared in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region. The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) wadeable streams protocol results in a single composite sample from nine transects...

7 CFR 1484.74 - How is Cooperator program compliance monitored?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... pursuant to § 1550.20(a)(14), FAS will consider the Cooperator's overall marketing budget from year to year, variations in promotional strategies within a country or region, and new markets. (c) The Director, CRS, will...

DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminated sediments are of interest to a broad group of programs in the agency. OERR and the Regions are interested in monitoring contaminated sediments to characterize/assess existing conditions, determine remediation alternatives, track spatial and temporal changes, and dete...

Developing inventory and monitoring programs based on multiple objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmoldt, Daniel L.; Peterson, David L.; Silsbee, David G.

1994-09-01

Resource inventory and monitoring (I&M) programs in national parks combine multiple objectives in order to create a plan of action over a finite time horizon. Because all program activities are constrained by time and money, it is critical to plan I&M activities that make the best use of available agency resources. However, multiple objectives complicate a relatively straightforward allocation process. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) offers a structure for multiobjective decision making so that decision-makers’ preferences can be formally incorporated in seeking potential solutions. Within the AHP, inventory and monitoring program objectives and decision criteria are organized into a hierarchy. Pairwise comparisons among decision elements at any level of the hierarchy provide a ratio scale ranking of those elements. The resulting priority values for all projects are used as each project’s contribution to the value of an overall I&M program. These priorities, along with budget and personnel constraints, are formulated as a zero/one integer programming problem that can be solved to select those projects that produce the best program. An extensive example illustrates how this approach is being applied to I&M projects in national parks in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The proposed planning process provides an analytical framework for multicriteria decisionmaking that is rational, consistent, explicit, and defensible.

Visibility monitoring in the southern California desert for the Department of Defense: Research on operations-limiting visual extinction, RESOLVE protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumenthal, D.; Trijonis, J.

1984-09-01

A decrease in visibility in the R2508 airspace (in the western Mojave Desert in southern California) since the mid-1940s, when flight test and training facilities were established in this region, is adversely affecting flight and test operations. The Joint Policy and Planning Board (JPPB) of the Department of Defense has initiated studies and discussions of the visibility issue with the goal of developing a management strategy to maintain and optimize the operational capabilities of the test facilities. To identify trends in and sources of visibility degradation in the desert, JPPB initiated two programs: (1) a compilation and review of the historical visibility and air quality data in the California desert region, to be coordinated by the California Desert Air Working Group (CDAWG) and funded by CDAWG participants; and (2) RESearch on Operations-Limiting Visual Extinction (RESOLVE), which involves measuring the visibility at key receptor sites (monitoring stations) in the R2508 region. The report describes the current status of and future plans for the RESOLVE program.

Vital signs monitoring plan for the Klamath Network: Phase I report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sarr, Daniel; Odion, Dennis; Truitt, Robert E.; Beever, Erik A.; Shafer, Sarah; Duff, Andrew; Smith, Sean B.; Bunn, Windy; Rocchio, Judy; Sarnat, Eli; Alexander, John; Jessup, Steve

2004-01-01

This report chronicles the Phase 1 stage of the vital signs monitoring program for the Klamath Network. It consists of two chapters and eleven appendixes. The purposes of Chapter One are to 1) describe the network administrative structure and approach to planning; 2) introduce the Klamath Network parks, their resources, and environmental settings; 3) explain the need for monitoring changes in resources and supporting environments; 4) identify key information gaps that limit understanding of how to best achieve these monitoring goals. The purpose of Chapter Two is to develop the descriptive information provided in Chapter One into a conceptual basis for vital signs monitoring and to present the Network’s initial suite of conceptual models. The Report Appendices provide in-depth information on a variety of topics researched in preparation of the report, including: detailed natural resource profiles for each park, supporting policies and guidelines, regional fire regimes, vegetation types of the parks, exotic species threats, interagency monitoring programs, air issues, water quality (Phase 1 Report), Network vital signs (Scoping Summary Report), rare species, and rare habitats of the parks.

Application of remote sensing to state and regional problems. [for Mississippi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. F.; Bouchillon, C. W.; Harris, J. C.; Carter, B.; Whisler, F. D.; Robinette, R.

1974-01-01

The primary purpose of the remote sensing applications program is for various members of the university community to participate in activities that improve the effective communication between the scientific community engaged in remote sensing research and development and the potential users of modern remote sensing technology. Activities of this program are assisting the State of Mississippi in recognizing and solving its environmental, resource and socio-economic problems through inventory, analysis, and monitoring by appropriate remote sensing systems. Objectives, accomplishments, and current status of the following individual projects are reported: (1) bark beetle project; (2) state park location planning; and (3) waste source location and stream channel geometry monitoring.

Geography program, design, structure and operational strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, R. H.

1970-01-01

The geography program is designed to move systematically toward a capability to increase remote sensing data into operational systems for monitoring land use and related environmental change. The problems of environmental imbalance arising from rapid urbanization and other dramatic changes in land use are considered. These overall problems translate into working level problems of establishing the validity of various sensor-data combinations that will best obtain the regional land use and environmental information. The goal, to better understand, predict, and assist policy makers to regulate urban and regional land use changes resulting from population growth and technological advancement, is put forth.

Where the rubber meets the road: long-term in-stream data collection to inform regional land management monitoring in the Pacific Northwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsch, C.

2017-12-01

The initiation of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in 1994 brought a sea change to federal land management agencies of the Pacific Northwest. The NWFP was developed in response to the listing of the Northern Spotted Owl and concern about declining populations of Pacific Salmon. The Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP) was developed to track changes that occurred as a result of active and passive management on the landscape. A significant management change affecting riparian areas was the creation of buffers around fish bearing and non-fish bearing streams. Two monitoring arms of the AREMP program focus on upslope and in-stream conditions in order to capture watershed-scale effects of land management changes. Field data to support the in-stream monitoring mission of AREMP began in 2002 with a study design based on an 8-year re-survey rotation. The sampling design was intended to capture watershed-scale variability across the broad and diverse study area in western Washington, western Oregon, and northwest California. 2017 marks repeat visits of every site and opens the door to more detailed assessments of changes that have occurred at local and regional extents over this time period. Results so far show improving trends in characteristics such as water temperature and macroinvertebrate community diversity. Maintaining an ongoing and relevant monitoring program over time has required a strong commitment to quality control in terms of data collection and analysis, and an openness to how AREMP can provide management relevant information as new challenges occur. AREMP's mandated role as the aquatic monitoring arm of the NWFP provides the overarching framework within which the program operates. However, new emerging topics of relevance to aquatic managers such as climate change and aquatic invasive species have been rolled into the mission over time. By being responsive to new challenges, and providing consistent feedback, AREMP has been able to evolve over time. AREMP is now poised to provide relevant feedback on changes to date, while also informing the emerging challenges faced by federal land managers in the west.

Water quality variability in San Francisco Bay, Some gGeneral lessons from 1996 sampling: 1996 annual report, San Francisco estuary regional monitoring program for trace substances

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, J.E.; Cole, B.E.; Edmunds, J.L.; Baylosis, J.I.

1997-01-01

This report describes the results from the 1996 Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP). It is the fourth Annual Report from the RMP which began in 1993 and attempts to synthesize the most obvious data patterns from the last four years. This report includes data from Base Program monitoring activities, as well as results of Pilot and Special Studies conducted or completed in 1996. Additionally, several articles contributed by RMP investigators and others, are included. These articles provide perspective and insight on important contaminant issues identified by the RMP. This summary addresses which kinds of pollutants measured by the RMP appear to be at levels that warrant concern, what kinds of trends may be discerned, and which stations have consistently shown elevated contaminant levels. The goals or general objectives of the RMP are: 1. To obtain high quality baseline data describing the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediment of the San Francisco Estuary. 2. To determine seasonal and annual trends in chemical and biological water quality in the San Francisco Estuary. 3. To continue to develop a data set that can be used to determine long-term trends in the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediments of the San Francisco Estuary. 4. To determine whether water quality and sediment quality in the Estuary at large are in compliance with objectives established by the Basin Plan (the regulatory planning document used by the Regional Water Quality Control Board). 5. To provide a database on water and sediment quality in the Estuary which is compatible with data being developed in other ongoing studies, including wasteload allocation studies and model development, sediment quality objectives development, in-bay studies of dredged material disposal, Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) water quality studies, primary productivity studies, local effects biomonitoring programs, and state and federal mussel watch programs.

Ecoregional-scale monitoring within conservation areas, in a rapidly changing climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beever, Erik A.; Woodward, Andrea

2011-01-01

Long-term monitoring of ecological systems can prove invaluable for resource management and conservation. Such monitoring can: (1) detect instances of long-term trend (either improvement or deterioration) in monitored resources, thus providing an early-warning indication of system change to resource managers; (2) inform management decisions and help assess the effects of management actions, as well as anthropogenic and natural disturbances; and (3) provide the grist for supplemental research on mechanisms of system dynamics and cause-effect relationships (Fancy et al., 2009). Such monitoring additionally provides a snapshot of the status of monitored resources during each sampling cycle, and helps assess whether legal standards and regulations are being met. Until the last 1-2 decades, tracking and understanding changes in condition of natural resources across broad spatial extents have been infrequently attempted. Several factors, however, are facilitating the achievement of such broad-scale investigation and monitoring. These include increasing awareness of the importance of landscape context, greater prevalence of regional and global environmental stressors, and the rise of landscape-scale programs designed to manage and monitor biological systems. Such programs include the US Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program (Moser et al., 2008), Canada's National Forest Inventory, the 3Q Programme for monitoring agricultural landscapes of Norway (Dramstad et al., 2002), and the emerging (US) Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (USDOI Secretarial Order 3289, 2009; Anonymous, 2011). This Special Section explores the underlying design considerations, as well as many pragmatic aspects associated with program implementation and interpretation of results from broad-scale monitoring systems, particularly within the constraints of high-latitude contexts (e.g., low road density, short field season, dramatic fluctuations in temperature). Although Alaska is the focus of most papers in this Special Section, we posit that many of the issues that characterize the remote, relatively undisturbed ecosystems of high northern latitudes are widespread and thus applicable to natural-resource management and conservation across northern portions of the Holarctic ecozone and indeed anywhere broad-scale monitoring is contemplated.

ANALYSIS OF MACROINVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGES IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Using redundancy analysis (RDA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we assessed relationships among chemical and physical characteristics and macroinvertebrate assemblages at stream sites sampled by the Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) in...

Analysis of the IMS Location Accuracy in Northern Eurasia and North America Using Regional and Global Pn Travel-time Tables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

United States Calibration Working Group, Russian Federation/

- Joint Research Program of Seismic Calibration of the International Monitoring System (IMS) in Northern Eurasia and North America has been signed by the Nuclear Treaty Programs Office (NTPO), Department of Defense USA, and the Special Monitoring Service (SMS) of the Ministry of Defense, Russian Federation (RF). Under the Program historical data from nuclear and large chemical explosions of known location and shot time, together with appropriate geological and geophysical data, has been used to derive regional Pn/P travel-time tables for seismic event location within the lower 48 States of the USA and the European part of the RF. These travel-time tables are up to 5seconds faster in shields than the IASPEI91 tables, and up to 5seconds slower in the Western USA. Relocation experiments using the regional Pn travel-time curves and surrogate networks for the IMS network generally improved locations for regional seismic events. The distance between true and estimated location (mislocation) was decreased from an average of 18.8km for the IASPEI91 tables to 10.1km for the regional Pn travel-time tables. However, the regional travel-time table approach has limitations caused by travel-time variations inside major tectonic provinces and paths crossing several tectonic provinces with substantially different crustal and upper mantle velocity structure.The RF members of the Calibration Working Group (WG): Colonel Vyacheslav Gordon (chairman); Dr. Prof. Marat Mamsurov, and Dr. Nikolai Vasiliev. The US members of the WG: Dr. Anton Dainty (chairman), Dr. Douglas Baumgardt, Mr. John Murphy, Dr. Robert North, and Dr. Vladislav Ryaboy.

SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATION ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This task seeks to identify high priority needs of the Regions and Program Offices for innovative field sampling, characterization, monitoring, and measurement technologies. When an appropriate solution to a specific problem is identified, a field demonstration is conducted to document the performance and cost of the proposed technologies. The use of field analysis almost always provides a savings in time and cost over the usual sample and ship to a conventional laboratory for analysis approach to site characterization and monitoring. With improvements in technology and appropriate quality assurance/quality control, field analysis has been shown to provide high quality data, useful for most environmental monitoring or characterization projects. An emphasis of the program is to seek out innovative solutions to existing problems and to provide the cost and performance data a user would require to make an informed decision regarding the adequacy of a technology to address a specific environmental problem. The objective of this program is to promote the acceptance and use of innovative field technologies by providing well-documented performance and cost data obtained from field demonstrations.

Recent Activities on the Embrace Space Weather Regional Warning Center: the New Space Weather Data Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denardini, Clezio Marcos; Dal Lago, Alisson; Mendes, Odim; Batista, Inez S.; SantAnna, Nilson; Gatto, Rubens; Takahashi, Hisao; Costa, D. Joaquim; Banik Padua, Marcelo; Campos Velho, Haroldo

2016-07-01

On August 2007 the National Institute for Space Research started a task force to develop and operate a space weather program, which is known by the acronyms Embrace that stands for the Portuguese statement "Estudo e Monitoramento BRAasileiro de Clima Espacial" Program (Brazilian Space Weather Study and Monitoring program). The mission of the Embrace/INPE program is to monitor the Solar-Terrestrial environment, the magnetosphere, the upper atmosphere and the ground induced currents to prevent effects on technological and economic activities. The Embrace/INPE system monitors the physical parameters of the Sun-Earth environment, such as Active Regions (AR) in the Sun and solar radiation by using radio telescope, Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) information by satellite and ground-based cosmic ray monitoring, geomagnetic activity by the magnetometer network, and ionospheric disturbance by ionospheric sounders and using data collected by four GPS receiver network, geomagnetic activity by a magnetometer network, and provides a forecasting for Total Electronic Content (TEC) - 24 hours ahead - using a version of the SUPIM model which assimilates the two latter data using nudging approach. Most of these physical parameters are daily published on the Brazilian space weather program web portal, related to the entire network sensors available. Regarding outreach, it has being published a daily bulletin in Portuguese and English with the status of the space weather environment on the Sun, the Interplanetary Medium and close to the Earth. Since December 2011, all these activities are carried out at the Embrace Headquarter, a building located at the INPE's main campus. Recently, a comprehensive data bank and an interface layer are under commissioning to allow an easy and direct access to all the space weather data collected by Embrace through the Embrace web Portal. The information being released encompasses data from: (a) the Embrace Digisonde Network (Embrace DigiNet) that monitors the ionospheric profiles in two equatorial sites and in two low latitude sites; (b) several solar radio telescopes to monitor solar activity (under development); (c) the matrix of the GNSS TEC map over South America; (d) the Embrace Airglow All-sky Imagers Network (Embrace GlowNet); and (d) the Embrace Magnetometer Network (Embrace Magnet), all of them in South America. Also, the system allows subscription to space weather alerts and reports. Contacting Author: C. M. Denardini (clezio.denardin@inpe.br)

Synthesis of data from high-frequency nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Downing, Bryan D.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the second in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to synthesize the data available from a nutrient and water-quality HF (about every 15 minutes) monitoring network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the northern Delta. In this report, we describe the network and focus on the purpose of each station. We then present and discuss the available data, at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales, and second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate-N concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. Resolving this variability is made possible by the HF data, with the largest variability caused by storms, tides, and diel biological processes. Given this large temporal variability, calculations of cumulative nutrient fluxes (for example, daily, monthly, or annual loads) is difficult without HF data. For example, in the Cache Slough, calculation of the annual load without the tidal variability resulted in a 30 percent underestimation of the true annual load value. We conclude that HF measurements are important for accurate determination of fluxes and loads in tidal environments, but, more importantly, provide important insights into processes and rates of nutrient cycling.This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017; Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for fixed station and spatial assessments. Finally, it presents numerous examples of how HF measurements are currently (2017) being used in the Delta to examine how nutrients and nutrient cycling are related to aquatic habitat conditions.The third report in the series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017) provides the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high‑priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta, proposed to address high-priority questions identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).

Southern California Bight 2003 Regional Monitoring Program: V. water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nezlin, Nikolay P.; DiGiacomo, Paul M.; Weisberg, Stephen B.; Diehl, Dario W.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Mengel, Michael J.; Jones, Burton H.; Reifel, Kristen M.; Johnson, Scott C.; Ohlmann, J. Carter; Washburn, Libe; Terrill, Eric J.

2007-01-01

More than $30 million is expended annually on environmental monitoring in the Southern California Bight (SCB), yet only 5% of the Bight is monitored on an ongoing basis. Therefore, environmental managers in the SCB decided to expand their monitoring program and, starting in 1994, decided to conduct periodic regional assessments of ecosystem condition and assess the overall health of the SCB. Sixty-five different organizations collaborated in 2003 to create the third SCB Regional Monitoring Program (Bight '03). Bight '03 was designed to be integrated regional monitoring program that encompasses regulatory, academic, and non-governmental agencies. Bight '03 had three components: Coastal Ecology, Shoreline Microbiology, and Water Quality. This report addresses the purpose, approach, findings, and recommendations from the Water Quality component, which focused on contamination-laden stormwater runoff, in particularly its variability in time and space as well as its short-term ecological impacts. Specifically, the Bight '03 Water Quality component had three primary goals, the first of which was to described the temporal evolution of stormwater plumes produced by the major southern California rivers. Specifically, the study was intended to determine how far offshore the plumes extended, how rapidly they advected, how long before the plumes dispersed and how these properties differed among storms and river systems. The second goal was to describe how the physical properties (e.g., turbidity, temperature, salinity) of the plume related to biogeochemical and ecological properties that are of more direct concern to the water quality management community. Accomplished primarily through ship-based sampling of water quality parameters, this second goal was to describe how far offshore, and for how ;long after the storm, elevated bacterial concentrations, toxicity, and nutrients could be detected. Similar to the fist goal, the study also addressed how these answers differed among storms and river systems. The final goal was to determine whether relationships between environmental indicators derived from coincident satellite remote sensing and in situ data sets are sufficiently robust for remote sensing to become a routine water quality monitoring programs. Remote sensing data potentially provide coastal managers with synoptic near-real time regional information about prevailing ocean conditions and hazards that would complement existing field-based sampling protocols, but only if there is a thorough understanding of how to interpret and utilize the proxy measures, such as ocean color. The understanding of these priorities through Bight '03 sampling is intended to provide the basis for developing more efficient, widespread and coast-effective coastal ocean monitoring techniques. Water quality data were collected across eight major river systems within four geographic regions of southern California. Field measurements included the primary contaminants of interest, i.e., bacterial concentrations, water toxicity, and nutrients, as well as related parameters such as temperatures, salinity, total suspended solids, transmissivity, chlorophyll, and colored dissolved organic material (CDOM) concentrations. For each of the four major regions, i.e., Santa Clara/Ventura Rivers, Ballona Creek/Santa Monica Bay, San Pedro Shelf, and the San Diego, Tijuana Rivers, two stormwater events were sampled for up to three days by ship resulting in 574 water column CTD+ profiles and 705 discrete water samples during 36 ship-days. These data were analyzed in combination with MODIS ocean color satellite remote sensing, buoy meteorological observations, drifters, and HF radar current measurements to evaluate the dispersal patterns, dynamics, and impacts of the freshwater runoff plumes. Based on these data and resulting analyses, the principal conclusions were as follow: - Stormwater runoff turbidity plumes were found to be spatially extensive, covering up to 2500 km2 within the Southern California Bight nearshore zone, and persisting over the entire duration of the post-storm sampling period (at least 3 days). - The spatial and temporal extent of the portion of the plume with contaminants was far less than that of the turbidity plume, typically representing - Pseudo-nitzschia, a harmful algae that produces domoic acid, was found to be more abundant than previously reported. - Accurately describing stormwater runoff plumes requires a combination of in situ and remote sensing assessment tools, with satellite data providing valuable synoptic information. From these conclusions, the following recommendations are provided: - Future studies designed to describe stormwater plumes should include a combination of ship - and remote sensing-based methods. - CDOM is a good proxy of the freshwater runoff plume and should be added as a standard measurement parameter on water quality instrument packages. - Investigations are needed that assess on a local basis the spatial extent of ecological effects of stormwater plumes early in the storm, ideally accompanied by airborne imagery to provide improved temporal & spatial resolution, to fill in knowledge gaps. The next Bight regional monitoring program should focus on quantifying nutrient loadings and dynamics in association with stormwater runoff and other sources, and characterize their attendant ecosystem impacts such as phytoplankton blooms.

Domestic water uses: characterization of daily cycles in the north region of Portugal.

PubMed

Matos, Cristina; Teixeira, Carlos A; Duarte, A A L S; Bentes, I

2013-08-01

Nowadays, there is an increasing discussion among specialists about water use efficiency and the best measures to improve it. In Portugal, there have been a few attempts to expand the implementation of in situ water reuse projects. However, there is a lack of information about indoor water uses and how they are influenced by sociodemographic characteristics. There are several studies that investigate per capita global water usage, but the partitioning of this volume per domestic device and daily cycles is yet unknown. Identified as one of the key questions in sustainable building design, the water end-use is of primary importance to the design of hydraulic networks in buildings. In order to overcome this lack, a quantitative characterization of daily water uses for each domestic device was performed, based on a weekly monitoring program in fifty-two different dwellings in the northern region of Portugal (Vila Real, Valpaços and Oporto). For forty of them, each water usage of different domestic devices of each dwelling was recorded. At the same time, the remaining twelve dwellings were also monitored in order to register the volume of water consumed in each utilization of each domestic device. This paper presents the results of this complete monitoring program, using collected data to establish indoor water use patterns for each domestic device, aiming to support a more realistic approach to residential water use. The daily cycles in the different cities, where the monitoring program was performed, are also presented, in order to evaluate possible influences of sociodemographic characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Fundamentals of socio-hygienic monitoring of environmental conditions for students of higher education schools].

PubMed

Blinova, E G; Kuchma, V R

2012-01-01

Socioeconomic transformations and the poor environment of an industrial megalopolis negatively affected quality of life and morbidity rates in students (n = 2160). Academic intensity contributed to an increase in overall morbidity and morbidity from nervous system involvement. The regional sociohygienic monitoring of high-school training conditions within the framework of the surveillance system substantiates programs to prevent worse health and life quality in high school students.

DOE Program on Seismic Characterization for Regions of Interest to CTBT Monitoring,

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-08-14

processing of the monitoring network data). While developing and testing the corrections and other parameters needed by the automated processing systems...the secondary network. Parameters tabulated in the knowledge base must be appropriate for routine automated processing of network data, and must also...operation of the PNDC, as well as to results of investigations of "special events" (i.e., those events that fail to locate or discriminate during automated

Emerging ecological datasets with application for modeling North American dust emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCord, S.; Stauffer, N. G.; Garman, S.; Webb, N.

2017-12-01

In 2011 the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) established the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) program to monitor the condition of BLM land and to provide data to support evidence-based management of multi-use public lands. The monitoring program shares core data collection methods with the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) National Resources Inventory (NRI), implemented on private lands nationally. Combined, the two programs have sampled >30,000 locations since 2003 to provide vegetation composition, vegetation canopy height, the size distribution of inter-canopy gaps, soil texture and crusting information on rangelands and pasture lands across North America. The BLM implements AIM on more than 247.3 million acres of land across the western US, encompassing major dust source regions of the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin deserts, the Colorado Plateau, and potential high-latitude dust sources in Alaska. The AIM data are publicly available and can be used to support modeling of land surface and boundary-layer processes, including dust emission. While understanding US dust source regions and emission processes has been of national interest since the 1930s Dust Bowl, most attention has been directed to the croplands of the Great Plains and emission hot spots like Owens Lake, California. The magnitude, spatial extent and temporal dynamics of dust emissions from western dust source areas remain highly uncertain. Here, we use ensemble modeling with empirical and physically-based dust emission schemes applied to AIM monitoring data to assess regional-scale patterns of aeolian sediment mass fluxes and dust emissions. The analysis enables connections to be made between dust emission rates at source and other indicators of ecosystem function at the landscape scale. Emerging ecological datasets like AIM provide new opportunities to evaluate aeolian sediment transport responses to land surface conditions, potential interactions with disturbances (e.g., fire) and ecological change (e.g., invasive species), and the impacts of anthropogenic land use and land cover change.

Adapting an ambient monitoring program to the challenge of managing emerging pollutants in the San Francisco Estuary.

PubMed

Hoenicke, Rainer; Oros, Daniel R; Oram, John J; Taberski, Karen M

2007-09-01

While over seven million organic and inorganic compounds that have been indexed by the American Chemical Society's Chemical Abstracts Service in their CAS Registry are commercially available, most pollution monitoring programs focus only on those chemical stressors for which regulatory benchmarks exist, and have been traditionally considered responsible for the most significant human and environmental health risks. Until the late 1990s, the San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program was no exception in that regard. After a thorough external review, the monitoring program responded to the need for developing a pro-active surveillance approach for emerging pollutants in recognition of the fact that the potential for the growing list of widely used chemical compounds to alter the integrity of water is high. We describe (1) the scientific and analytical bases underlying a new surveillance monitoring approach; (2) summarize approaches used and results obtained from a forensic retrospective; (3) present the growing data set on emerging pollutants from surveillance monitoring and related efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area to characterize newly targeted compounds in wastewater streams, sediment, storm water runoff, and biota; and (4) suggest next steps in monitoring program development and applied research that could move beyond traditional approaches of pollutant characterization. Based on the forensic analysis of archived chromatograms and chemical and toxicological properties of candidate compounds, we quantified a variety of synthetic organic compounds which had previously not been targeted for analysis. Flame retardant compounds, pesticides and insecticide synergists, insect repellents, pharmaceuticals, personal care product ingredients, plasticizers, non-ionic surfactants, and other manufacturing ingredients were detected in water, sediment, and/or biological tissue samples. Several of these compounds, especially polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, exhibited concentrations of environmental concern. We also describe environmental management challenges associated with emerging pollutants and how pro-active surveillance monitoring might assist in implementing a more holistic approach to pollution prevention and control before emerging pollutants become a burden on future generations.

Satellites monitor Atlanta regional development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Todd, William J.; Blackmon, C.C.; Rudasill, R.G.

1979-01-01

Since the adoption of a Regional Development Plan in 1975, the Atlanta Regional Commission has investigated methods for monitoring regional development patterns in a periodic, efficient manner. A promising approach appears to be the use of Landsat satellite data. In cooperation with the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, the commission used machine processing of digital temporal overlays of Landsat data collected in 1972, 1974 and 1976 to detect land use and land cover changes in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Results of the analysis revealed the conversion of forested and open space areas to residential, commercial and industrial land use in the urban-rural fringe zone from 1972 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1976. The study indicated that a land use and land cover change-detection program may be used to revise small-area forecasts of land use, population and employment made by planning models.

California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project--shallow aquifer assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

The California State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) GAMA Program is a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater quality in California. From 2004 to 2012, the GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project focused on assessing groundwater resources used for public drinking-water supplies. More than 2,000 public-supply wells were sampled by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for this effort. Starting in 2012, the GAMA Priority Basin Project began an assessment of water resources in shallow aquifers in California. These shallow aquifers provide water for domestic and small community-supply wells, which are often drilled to shallower depths in the groundwater system than public-supply wells. Shallow aquifers are of interest because shallow groundwater may respond more quickly and be more susceptible to contamination from human activities at the land surface, than the deeper aquifers. The SWRCB’s GAMA Program was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 (Water Code sections 10780-10782.3): a public mandate to assess and monitor the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supplies, and to increase the availability of information about groundwater quality to the public. The U.S. Geological Survey is the technical lead of the Priority Basin Project. Stewardship of California’s groundwater resources is a responsibility shared between well owners, communities, and the State. Participants and collaborators in the GAMA Program include Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Water Resources, Department of Public Health, local and regional groundwater management entities, county and local water agencies, community groups, and private citizens. Well-owner participation in the GAMA Program is entirely voluntary.

Data from exploratory sampling of groundwater in selected oil and gas areas of coastal Los Angeles County and Kern and Kings Counties in southern San Joaquin Valley, 2014–15: California oil, gas, and groundwater project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, David B.; Davis, Tracy A.; Landon, Matthew K.; Land, Michael T.; Wright, Michael T.; Kulongoski, Justin T.

2016-12-09

Exploratory sampling of groundwater in coastal Los Angeles County and Kern and Kings Counties of the southern San Joaquin Valley was done by the U.S. Geological Survey from September 2014 through January 2015 as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Water Quality in Areas of Oil and Gas Production Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program. The Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program was established in response to the California Senate Bill 4 of 2013 mandating that the California State Water Resources Control Board design and implement a groundwater-monitoring program to assess potential effects of well-stimulation treatments on groundwater resources in California. The U.S. Geological Survey is in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board to collaboratively implement the Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program through the California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater Project. Many researchers have documented the utility of different suites of chemical tracers for evaluating the effects of oil and gas development on groundwater quality. The purpose of this exploratory sampling effort was to determine whether tracers reported in the literature could be used effectively in California. This reconnaissance effort was not designed to assess the effects of oil and gas on groundwater quality in the sampled areas. A suite of water-quality indicators and geochemical tracers were sampled at groundwater sites in selected areas that have extensive oil and gas development. Groundwater samples were collected from a total of 51 wells, including 37 monitoring wells at 17 multiple-well monitoring sites in coastal Los Angeles County and 5 monitoring wells and 9 water-production wells in southern San Joaquin Valley, primarily in Kern and Kings Counties. Groundwater samples were analyzed for field waterquality indicators; organic constituents, including volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and dissolved organic carbon indicators; naturally present inorganic constituents, including trace elements, nutrients, major and minor ions, and iron species; naturally present stable and radioactive isotopes; dissolved noble gases; dissolved standard and hydrocarbon gases, δ13C of methane, ethane, and δ2 H of methane. In total, 249 constituents and water-quality indicators were measured. Four types of quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, matrix spikes, and surrogates spiked in environmental and blank samples) were collected at approximately 10 percent of the wells. The quality-control data were used to determine whether the groundwater-sample data were of sufficient quality for the measured analytes to be used as potential indicators of oil and gas effects. The data from the 51 groundwater samples and from the quality-control samples are presented in this report.

Foreword: Contributions of Arctic PRISM to monitoring western hemispheric shorebirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skagen, Susan K.; Smith, Paul A.; Andres, Brad A.; Donaldson, Garry; Brown, Stephen; Bart, Jonathan R.; Johnston, Victoria H.

2012-01-01

Long-term monitoring of populations is of paramount importance to understanding responses of organisms to global environmental change and to evaluating whether conservation practices are yielding intended results through time (Wiens 2009). The population status of many shorebird species, the focus of this volume, remain poorly known. Long-distance migrant shorebirds have proven particularly difficult to monitor, in part because of their highly inaccessible regions. As migrant shorebirds travel the length of the hemisphere, the congregate and disperse in ways that vary among species, locations, and years, presenting serious challenges to designing and implementing monitoring programs. Rigorous field and quantitative methods that estimate population size and monitor trends are vitally needed to direct and evaluate effective conservation measures. Many management efforts depend on unbiased population size estimates; for examples, the shorebird conservation plans for both Canada and the United States seek to restore populations to levels calculated for the 1970s based on the best information available from existing surveys. Further, federal wildlife agencies within the United States and Canada have mandates to understand the state of their nations' resources under various conventions for the protection of migratory birds. Accurate estimates of population size are vital statistics for a variety of conservation activities, such as prioritizing species for conservation action and setting management targets. Areas of essential habitat, such as those designated under the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, the Important Bird Areas program of BirdLife Internationals and the National Audubon Society, or Canada's National Wildlife Areas program, are all evaluated on the basis of proportions of species' populations which they contain. The size, and trends in size, of a species' population are considered key information for assessing its vulnerability and subsequent listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Canadian Species at Risk Act. To meet the need for information on population size and trends, shorebird biologists from Canada and the United States proposed a shared blueprint for shorebird monitoring across the Western Hemisphere in the late 1990s; this effort was undertaken in concert with the development of the Canadian and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plans. Soon thereafter, partners in the monitoring effort adopted the name "Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring" (PRISM). Among the primary objectives of PRISM were to estimate the population sizes and trends of breeding North American shorebirds and describe their distributions. PRISM members evaluated ongoing and potential monitoring approached to address 74 taxa (including subspecies) and proposed a combination of arctic and boreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding and non-breeding surveys, and neotropical surveys.

WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR CONSOLIDATED ASSESSMENT AND LISTING PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

With over 40,000 TMDLs scheduled for development, the states, tribes, and EPA Regions need efficient streamlined approaches for watershed level inventory, monitoring, condition assessment, diagnosis of impairment, and prioritization of watersheds for restoration and future load r...

75 FR 65995 - Biomass Crop Assistance Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-27

... practices approved through conservation planning would be periodically monitored by USDA to determine the... negative impacts, through reduced purchases of inputs for traditional farming, within a region ranging from... changes in land management associated with the adoption of dedicated biomass energy cropping practices and...

Combining lake and watershed characteristics with Landsat TM data for remote estimation of regional lake clarity

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCullough, Ian M.; Loftin, Cyndy; Sader, Steven A.

2012-01-01

Water clarity is a reliable indicator of lake productivity and an ideal metric of regional water quality. Clarity is an indicator of other water quality variables including chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus and trophic status; however, unlike these metrics, clarity can be accurately and efficiently estimated remotely on a regional scale. Remote sensing is useful in regions containing a large number of lakes that are cost prohibitive to monitor regularly using traditional field methods. Field-assessed lakes generally are easily accessible and may represent a spatially irregular, non-random sample of a region. We developed a remote monitoring program for Maine lakes >8 ha (1511 lakes) to supplement existing field monitoring programs. We combined Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) brightness values for TM bands 1 (blue) and 3 (red) to estimate water clarity (secchi disk depth) during 1990–2010. Although similar procedures have been applied to Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes, neither state incorporates physical lake variables or watershed characteristics that potentially affect clarity into their models. Average lake depth consistently improved model fitness, and the proportion of wetland area in lake watersheds also explained variability in clarity in some cases. Nine regression models predicted water clarity (R2 = 0.69–0.90) during 1990–2010, with separate models for eastern (TM path 11; four models) and western Maine (TM path 12; five models that captured differences in topography and landscape disturbance. Average absolute difference between model-estimated and observed secchi depth ranged 0.65–1.03 m. Eutrophic and mesotrophic lakes consistently were estimated more accurately than oligotrophic lakes. Our results show that TM bands 1 and 3 can be used to estimate regional lake water clarity outside the Great Lakes Region and that the accuracy of estimates is improved with additional model variables that reflect physical lake characteristics and watershed conditions.

Rapid changes in small fish mercury concentrations in estuarine wetlands: Implications for wildlife risk and monitoring programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Ackerman, Joshua T.

2009-01-01

Small fish are commonly used to assess mercury (Hg) risk to wildlife and monitor Hg in wetlands. However, limited research has evaluated short-term Hg variability in small fish, which can have important implications for monitoring programs and risk assessment. We conducted a time-series study of Hg concentrations in two small fish species representing benthic (longjaw mudsuckers [Gillichthys mirabilis]) and pelagic (threespine sticklebacks [Gasterosteus aculeatus]) food-webs within three wetland habitats in San Francisco Bay Estuary. We simultaneously monitored prey deliveries, nest initiation, and chick hatching dates of breeding Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri), the most abundant nesting piscivore in the region. Mudsuckers and sticklebacks were the predominant prey fish, comprising 36% and 25% of tern diet, and Hg concentrations averaged (geometric mean ?? SE, ??g/g dw) 0.44 ?? 0.01 and 0.68 ?? 0.03, respectively. Fish Hg concentrations varied substantially over time following a quadratic form in both species, increasing 40% between March and May then decreasing 40% between May and July. Importantly, Forster's terns initiated 68% of nests and 31% of chicks hatched during the period of peak Hg concentrations in prey fish. These results illustrate the importance of short-term temporal variation in small fish Hg concentrations for both Hg monitoring programs and assessing wildlife risk.

Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) Program Summary Report: Data and Analyses 2006 through 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kindinger, Jack G.; Buster, Noreen A.; Flocks, James G.; Bernier, Julie C.; Kulp, Mark A.

2013-01-01

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was implemented under the Louisiana Coastal Area Science and Technology (LCA S&T) office as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring (SWAMP) program. The BICM project was developed by the State of Louisiana (Coastal Protection Restoration Authority [CPRA], formerly Department of Natural Resources [DNR]) to complement other Louisiana coastal monitoring programs such as the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System-Wetlands (CRMS-Wetlands) and was a collaborative research effort by CPRA, University of New Orleans (UNO), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The goal of the BICM program was to provide long-term data on the barrier islands of Louisiana that could be used to plan, design, evaluate, and maintain current and future barrier-island restoration projects. The BICM program used both historical and newly acquired (2006 to 2010) data to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. BICM datasets included aerial still and video photography (multiple time series) for shoreline positions, habitat mapping, and land loss; light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations; single-beam and swath bathymetry; and sediment grab samples. Products produced using BICM data and analyses included (but were not limited to) storm-impact assessments, rate of shoreline and bathymetric change, shoreline-erosion and accretion maps, high-resolution elevation maps, coastal-shoreline and barrier-island habitat-classification maps, and coastal surficial-sediment characterization maps. Discussions in this report summarize the extensive data-collection efforts and present brief interpretive analyses for four coastal Louisiana geographic regions. In addition, several coastal-wide and topical themes were selected that integrate the data and analyses within a broader coastal context: (1) barrier-shoreline evolution driven by rapid relative sea-level rise (RSLR), (2) hurricane impacts to the Chandeleur Islands and likelihood of island recovery, (3) impact of tropical storms on barrier shorelines, (4) Barataria Bay tidal-inlet management, and (5) habitat changes related to RSLR. The final theme addresses potential future goals of the BICM program, including rotational annual to semi-decadal monitoring, proposed new-data collection, how to incorporate technological advances with previous data-collection and monitoring protocols, and standardizing methods and quality-control assessments for continued coastal monitoring and restoration.

Groundwater quality in the Sierra Nevada, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Sierra Nevada Regional study unit constitutes one of the study units being evaluated.

Marine fouling invasions in ports of Patagonia (Argentina) with implications for legislation and monitoring programs.

PubMed

Schwindt, Evangelina; López Gappa, Juan; Raffo, María Paula; Tatián, Marcos; Bortolus, Alejandro; Orensanz, José María; Alonso, Gloria; Diez, María Emilia; Doti, Brenda; Genzano, Gabriel; Lagger, Cristian; Lovrich, Gustavo; Piriz, María Luz; Mendez, María Martha; Savoya, Verónica; Sueiro, María Cruz

2014-08-01

Ports are a key factor in the understanding and solving of most problems associated with marine invasive species across regional and global scales. Yet many regions with active ports remain understudied. The aim of this work was to (a) identify and quantify the marine fouling organisms in all Patagonian ports of Argentina classifying them as native, exotic or cryptogenic species through a rapid assessment survey and experimental studies, (b) survey the environmental and anthropogenic variables of these ports and (c) analyze and discuss these results in the light of the South America context for the study of marine invasive species, legislation and commerce. We found 247 fouling species, including 17 introduced, one of which is a new record for the region, and other 15 species currently considered cryptogenic species that will need further attention to clarify their status. The analysis of mobile and sessile taxa, together with the environmental variables measured in this study and the port movement, allow us to discuss individual ports' vulnerability to future introductions. This is the first large scale study performed for this region on this topic, and it will help in developing monitoring programs and early detection plans to minimize new species introductions along the marine coastline of southern South America. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensuring Effective Prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

PubMed

Völzke, Henry; Caron, Philippe; Dahl, Lisbeth; de Castro, João J; Erlund, Iris; Gaberšček, Simona; Gunnarsdottir, Ingibjörg; Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, Alicja; Ittermann, Till; Ivanova, Ludmila; Karanfilski, Borislav; Khattak, Rehman M; Kusić, Zvonko; Laurberg, Peter; Lazarus, John H; Markou, Kostas B; Moreno-Reyes, Rodrigo; Nagy, Endre V; Peeters, Robin P; Pīrāgs, Valdis; Podoba, Ján; Rayman, Margaret P; Rochau, Ursula; Siebert, Uwe; Smyth, Peter P; Thuesen, Betina H; Troen, Aron; Vila, Lluís; Vitti, Paolo; Zamrazil, Vaclav; Zimmermann, Michael B

2016-02-01

Programs initiated to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) may not remain effective due to changes in government policies, commercial factors, and human behavior that may affect the efficacy of IDD prevention programs in unpredictable directions. Monitoring and outcome studies are needed to optimize the effectiveness of IDD prevention. Although the need for monitoring is compelling, the current reality in Europe is less than optimal. Regular and systematic monitoring surveys have only been established in a few countries, and comparability across the studies is hampered by the lack of centralized standardization procedures. In addition, data on outcomes and the cost of achieving them are needed in order to provide evidence of the beneficial effects of IDD prevention in countries with mild iodine deficiency. Monitoring studies can be optimized by including centralized standardization procedures that improve the comparison between studies. No study of iodine consumption can replace the direct measurement of health outcomes and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the program. It is particularly important that health economic evaluation should be conducted in mildly iodine-deficient areas and that it should include populations from regions with different environmental, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

Monitoring Ground-Water Quality in Coastal Ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.; Masterson, John P.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) extends along more than 70 km of Atlantic Ocean open-beach coastline and includes three large saltwater bays - Wellfleet Harbor, Nauset Marsh, and Pleasant Bay (fig. 1). CACO encompasses about 18,000 ha of uplands, lakes, wetlands, and tidal lands (Godfrey and others, 1999) including most habitats typical of the sandy coast in National seashores and parks extending southward from Massachusetts to Florida. In 1995, CACO was selected by the National Park Service (NPS) as a prototype park typifying the Atlantic and Gulf Coast biogeographic region for long-term coastal ecosystem monitoring. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently (2007) assisting the NPS in the development of protocols for a Long-Term Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring Program at the CACO in Massachusetts. The overall purpose of the monitoring program is to characterize both natural and human-induced change in the biological resources of the CACO, over a time scale of decades, in the context of a changing global ecosystem.

Research, monitoring and evaluation of fish and wildlife restoration projects in the Columbia River Basin: Lessons learned and suggestions for large-scale monitoring programs.

Treesearch

Lyman L. McDonald; Robert Bilby; Peter A. Bisson; Charles C. Coutant; John M. Epifanio; Daniel Goodman; Susan Hanna; Nancy Huntly; Erik Merrill; Brian Riddell; William Liss; Eric J. Loudenslager; David P. Philipp; William Smoker; Richard R. Whitney; Richard N. Williams

2007-01-01

The year 2006 marked two milestones in the Columbia River Basin and the Pacific Northwest region's efforts to rebuild its once great salmon and steelhead runs: the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the 10th anniversary of an amendment to the Northwest Power Act that formalized scientific peer review of the council...

WV R-EMAP STUDY: MULTIPLE-OBJECTIVE SAMPLING DESIGN FRAMEWORK

EPA Science Inventory

A multi-objective sampling design has been implemented through Regional Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) support of a cooperative agreement with the state of West Virginia. Goals of the project include: 1) development and testing of a temperature-adjusted fish IBI for t...

Forecasting fish biomasses, densities, productions, and bioaccumulation potentials of Mid-Atlantic wadeable streams

EPA Science Inventory

Regional fishery conditions of Mid-Atlantic wadeable streams in the eastern United States are estimated using the BASS bioaccumulation and fish community model and data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP)....

Joint US/UK Vortex Tracking Program at Heathrow International Airport Volume II: Data Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-11-01

From May 1974 through June 1975, the approach region to runway 28R at Heathrow International Airport was equipped with aircraft wake vortex tracking equipment. The vortices from approximately 13,000 aircraft were monitored along with the attendant me...

Site Characterization and Monitoring Technical Support Center FY16 Report

EPA Science Inventory

SCMTSC’s primary goal is to provide technical assistance to regional programs on complex hazardous waste site characterization issues. This annual report illustrates the range and extent of projects that SCMTSC supported in FY 2016. Our principal audiences are site project manage...

Why is Improving Water Quality in the Gulf of Mexico so Critical?

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA regional offices and the Gulf of Mexico Program work with Gulf States to continue to maximize the efficiency and utility of water quality monitoring efforts for local managers by coordinating and standardizing state and federal water quality data

IDENTIFICATION AND LOCATION OF FUNDAMENTAL FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

To predict fish community response to environmental restoration in the Highlands Region one must first have information on fish abundance and diversity. We used data collected by the US Environmental Protection Agency's EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program) to i...

COMPARATIVE APPLICATION OF PERIPHYTON, MACROINVERTEBRATE AND FISH INDICES OF BIOTIC INTEGRITY TO SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

We compared three assessments using macroinvertebrate, periphyton, and fish assemblages in streams sampled by the Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP) in Colorado's Southern Rockies Ecoregion. We contrasted analyses using metrics for each group selecte...

Joint US/UK Vortex Tracking Program at Heathrow International Airport Volume: I Executive Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-03-01

From May 1974 through June 1975 the approach region to Runway 28R at Heathrow International Airport was equipped with aircraft wake vortex tracking equipment. The vortices from approximately 13,000 aircraft were monitored along with the attendant met...

Lessons from UNSCOM and IAEA regarding remote monitoring and air sampling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dupree, S.A.

1996-01-01

In 1991, at the direction of the United Nations Security Council, UNSCOM and IAEA developed plans for On-going Monitoring and Verification (OMV) in Iraq. The plans were accepted by the Security Council and remote monitoring and atmospheric sampling equipment has been installed at selected sites in Iraq. The remote monitoring equipment consists of video cameras and sensors positioned to observe equipment or activities at sites that could be used to support the development or manufacture of weapons of mass destruction, or long-range missiles. The atmospheric sampling equipment provides unattended collection of chemical samples from sites that could be used tomore » support the development or manufacture of chemical weapon agents. To support OMV in Iraq, UNSCOM has established the Baghdad Monitoring and Verification Centre. Imagery from the remote monitoring cameras can be accessed in near-real time from the Centre through RIF communication links with the monitored sites. The OMV program in Iraq has implications for international cooperative monitoring in both global and regional contexts. However, monitoring systems such as those used in Iraq are not sufficient, in and of themselves, to guarantee the absence of prohibited activities. Such systems cannot replace on-site inspections by competent, trained inspectors. However, monitoring similar to that used in Iraq can contribute to openness and confidence building, to the development of mutual trust, and to the improvement of regional stability.« less

Hydrologic data for the Larimer-Weld regional water-monitoring program, Colorado, 1975-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakely, S.R.; Steinheimer, J.T.

1984-01-01

The Larimer-Weld, Colorado, regional Monitoring Program was begun in 1976 to provide information on the quality and quantity of the surface-water resources in the area. Three stations on the big Thompson River and five stations on the Cache La Poudre River were selected for a data-collection network. Four previously established stations were added to complete the data-collection network: Horsetooth Reservoir, Joe Wright Creek above and below Joe Wright Reservoir, and Michigan River near Cameron Pass. Station description, location, and period of record are given for each station. A statistical summary of the water-quality data for each station is tabulated. Frequency of occurrence is given at the 95th, 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles. Monthly water-quality data and daily average streamflow data are tabulated for each streamflow station for which this data was collected; Monthly contents data are presented for Horsetooth Reservoir. All data tabulated and summarized are from the period October 1, 1975, through September 30, 1982. (USGS)

Genetic Factors Involved in Fumonisin Accumulation in Maize Kernels and Their Implications in Maize Agronomic Management and Breeding

PubMed Central

Santiago, Rogelio; Cao, Ana; Butrón, Ana

2015-01-01

Contamination of maize with fumonisins depends on the environmental conditions; the maize resistance to contamination and the interaction between both factors. Although the effect of environmental factors is a determinant for establishing the risk of kernel contamination in a region, there is sufficient genetic variability among maize to develop resistance to fumonisin contamination and to breed varieties with contamination at safe levels. In addition, ascertaining which environmental factors are the most important in a region will allow the implementation of risk monitoring programs and suitable cultural practices to reduce the impact of such environmental variables. The current paper reviews all works done to address the influence of environmental variables on fumonisin accumulation, the genetics of maize resistance to fumonisin accumulation, and the search for the biochemical and/or structural mechanisms of the maize plant that could be involved in resistance to fumonisin contamination. We also explore the outcomes of breeding programs and risk monitoring of undertaken projects. PMID:26308050

Genetic Factors Involved in Fumonisin Accumulation in Maize Kernels and Their Implications in Maize Agronomic Management and Breeding.

PubMed

Santiago, Rogelio; Cao, Ana; Butrón, Ana

2015-08-20

Contamination of maize with fumonisins depends on the environmental conditions; the maize resistance to contamination and the interaction between both factors. Although the effect of environmental factors is a determinant for establishing the risk of kernel contamination in a region, there is sufficient genetic variability among maize to develop resistance to fumonisin contamination and to breed varieties with contamination at safe levels. In addition, ascertaining which environmental factors are the most important in a region will allow the implementation of risk monitoring programs and suitable cultural practices to reduce the impact of such environmental variables. The current paper reviews all works done to address the influence of environmental variables on fumonisin accumulation, the genetics of maize resistance to fumonisin accumulation, and the search for the biochemical and/or structural mechanisms of the maize plant that could be involved in resistance to fumonisin contamination. We also explore the outcomes of breeding programs and risk monitoring of undertaken projects.

How to address a global problem with Earth Observations? Developing best practices to monitor forests around the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Cordova, A. I.; Cherrington, E. A.; Vadrevu, K.; Thapa, R. B.; Oduor, P.; Mehmood, H.; Quyen, N. H.; Saah, D. S.; Yero, K.; Mamane, B.; Bartel, P.; Limaye, A. S.; French, R.; Irwin, D.; Wilson, S.; Gottielb, S.; Notman, E.

2017-12-01

Forests represent a key natural resource, for which degradation or disturbance is directly associated to economic implications, particularly in the context of the United Nations program REDD+ in supporting national policies to fight illegal deforestation. SERVIR, a joint NASA-USAID initiative that brings Earth observations (EO) for improved environmental decision making in developing countries, works with established institutions, called SERVIR hubs, in four regions around the world. SERVIR is partnering with global programs with great experience in providing best practices in forest monitoring systems, such as SilvaCarbon and the Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI), to develop a capacity building plan that prioritizes user needs. Representatives from the SERVIR global network met in February 2017 with experts in the field of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for forest applications to envisage this capacity building plan that aims to leverage the state-of-the-art knowledge on remote sensing to enhance forest monitoring for user agencies in SERVIR regions. SERVIR Hubs in West Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, Hindu Kush-Himalaya and Lower Mekong, have long-lasting relations with local, national and regional initiatives, and there is a strong understanding of needs, concerns and best practices when addressing forest monitoring and capacity building. SERVIR Hubs also have a wealth of experience in building capacity on the use of EO to monitor forests, mostly using optical imagery. Most of the forest cover maps generated with SERVIR support have been used as the official national forest cover dataset for international reporting commitments. However, as new EO datasets become available, and in view of the inherent limitations of optical imagery, there is a strong need to use all freely available EO datasets, including SAR, to improve Monitoring & Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and provide more frequent and accurate information. SERVIR seeks to capitalize on currently under-utilized EO resources to fulfill this need, putting user needs as the main driver to tailor a capacity building plan. This presentation will focus on the lessons learned at SERVIR and how we envision the new frontier for monitoring forest resources and the obstacles that will need to be overcome.

Radiation Control on Uzbekistan Borders - Results and Perspectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petrenko, Vitaliy; Yuldashev, Bekhzod; Ismailov, Ulughbek

2009-12-02

The measures and actions on prevention, detection and response to criminal or unauthorized acts involving radioactive materials in Uzbekistan are presented. In frames of program of radiation monitoring to prevent illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials main customs border checkpoints were equipped with commercial radiation portal monitors. Special radiation monitors elaborated and manufactured in INP AS RU are installed in INP(main gates, research reactor and laboratory building) to provide nuclear security of Institute facilities. The experience of Uzbekistan in establishing radiation monitoring systems on its borders, their operation and maintenance would be useful for realization of proposed plan ofmore » strengthening measures to prevent illicit trafficking in Republics of Central Asia region.« less

Evaluation of the national health surveillance program of workers previously exposed to asbestos in Spain (2008).

PubMed

Gómez, Montserrat García; Castañeda, Rosario; López, Vega García; Vidal, Manuel Martínez; Villanueva, Vicent; Espinosa, Mercedes Elvira

2012-01-01

Although asbestos was banned in Spain in 2001, monitoring the health of previously-exposed workers is required. In 2002 the Ministry of Health and the autonomous regions of Spain planned a health surveillance program for workers exposed to asbestos (Programa de Vigilancia de la Salud de los Trabajadores Expuestos al Amianto [PIVISTEA]) with employers' organizations, trade unions and scientific societies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the PIVISTEA to improve its effectiveness. A questionnaire with indicators for the year 2008 was sent to Spain's 17 autonomous regions, as well as to the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The results were analyzed by evaluating the compliance of each program with the activities established by the PIVISTEA. In December 2008, a total of 22,158 workers from 14 autonomous regions and 306 companies were included in the program. The program had been started in 88% of the regions but surveillance activities remained scarce in 24%. Fifty-seven percent of the autonomous regions (69% of the total number of workers) provided the information requested. Seven autonomous regions provided data on the relationship between the diseases found and asbestos exposure. Only 5% of these diseases entitled affected individuals to receive compensation for occupational diseases. The health surveillance of workers previously exposed to asbestos in Spain, as well as medical-legal recognition of diseases caused by exposure at work, remain in adequate. Although the trend is positive, the effectiveness of many regional programs is limited, and inter-regional inequalities among affected workers have been detected. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Glacier dynamics of the Pamir-Karakoram-Himalaya region over the last 40 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourmelen, N.; Dehecq, A.; Trouvé, E.

2014-12-01

Climate warming over the 20th century has caused drastic changes in mountain glaciers globally, and of the Himalayan glaciers in particular. The stakes are high; glaciers and ice caps are the largest contributor to the increase in the mass of the world's oceans, and the Himalayas play a key role in the hydrology of the region, impacting on the economy, food safety and flood risk. Partial monitoring of the Himalayan glaciers has revealed a mixed picture; while many of the Himalayan glaciers are retreating, in some cases locally stable or advancing glaciers in this region have also been observed. But recent controversies have highlighted the need to understand the glaciers dynamic and its relationship with climate change in the region. Earth Observation provides a mean for global and long-term monitoring of mountain glaciers' dynamics. In the frame of the Dragon program, a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Center for Earth Observation (NRSCC), we begun a monitoring program aimed at quantifying multidecadal changes in glaciers' flow at the scale of the entire Himalayas and Karakoram from a 40 years' archive of Earth Observation. Ultimately, the provision of a global and time-sensitive glaciers velocity product will help to understand the evolution of the Himalayan glaciers in lights of glaciological (e.g. presence of debris-cover, surges, proglacial lakes) and climatic conditions. Here we present a region-wide analysis of annual and seasonnal glacier flow velocity covering the Pamir-Karakoram-Himalaya region obtained from the analysis of the entire archive of Landsat data. Over 90% of the ice-covered regions, as defined by the Randolph Glacier Inventory, are measured, with precision on the retrieved velocity of the order of 2 m/yr. We show that the first order temporal evolution of glacier flow mirrors the pattern of glacier mass balance. We observe a general decrease of ice velocity in regions of known ice mass loss, and a more complex patterns consisting of mixed acceleration and decrease of ice velocity in regions that are known to be affected by stable mass balance and surge-like behavior.

Signatures of coronal rain observed in the chromosphere of an Active Region Filament

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillet, V. M.; McAteer, J.

2016-12-01

Using He 10830A spectropolarimetric data from the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter (TIP) in a rather compact active region neutral line, we observe a persistent chromospheric downflow on both sides of the neutral line that we interpret as the signature of rain from the Corona. The photospheric Si I line also present in this spectral region allows studying the continuation of the chromospheric downflow into the deeper areas dominated by granulation. Full reconstruction of the photospheric and chromospheric vector magnetic field showed that the active region filament was the central, axial, part of a magnetic flux rope. These observations demonstrate the potential of this spectral region to monitor the magnetic field and plasma motions in solar filaments. NMSU and NSO are teaming to start a synoptic program at the DST (Sac Peak) that uses this spectral region to track the evolution of magnetic fields and flows in solar filaments. We briefly present the characteristics of the synoptic program.

Ground-water vulnerability to nitrate contamination in the mid-atlantic region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greene, Earl A.; LaMotte, Andrew E.; Cullinan, Kerri-Ann; Smith, Elizabeth R.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (USEPA) Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program has developed a set of statistical tools to support regional-scale, integrated ecological risk-assessment studies. One of these tools, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is used with available water-quality data obtained from USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and other studies in association with land cover, geology, soils, and other geographic data to develop logistic-regression equations that predict the vulnerability of ground water to nitrate concentrations exceeding specified thresholds in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The models were developed and applied to produce spatial probability maps showing the likelihood of elevated concentrations of nitrate in the region. These maps can be used to identify areas that currently are at risk and help identify areas where ground water has been affected by human activities. This information can be used by regional and local water managers to protect water supplies and identify land-use planning solutions and monitoring programs in these vulnerable areas.

INDICATORS OF ECOLOGICAL STRESS AND THEIR EXTENT IN THE POPULATION OF NORTHEASTERN LAKES

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) surveyed 345 northeastern lakes, during 1991-1996, in the first regional-scale survey to use a probability-based sampling design to collect biological assemblage data along with a broad range of physical and chemical indi...

EPA'S REGIONAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM: USING MONITORING DATA AND MODEL RESULTS TO TARGET ACTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Until recently, ecological studies and management practices were conducted and implemented at local scales. During the past two decades, however, it has become clear that evaluations of environmental problems and management practices cannot be considered only at local scales. Inc...

TRI and DMR Comparison Dashboard | ECHO | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The dashboard provides a comparison of wastewater discharge data reported on Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program and water releases reported under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) at a national, regional, or state level.

Integrating environmental monitoring with cumulative effects management and decision making.

PubMed

Cronmiller, Joshua G; Noble, Bram F

2018-05-01

Cumulative effects (CE) monitoring is foundational to emerging regional and watershed CE management frameworks, yet monitoring is often poorly integrated with CE management and decision-making processes. The challenges are largely institutional and organizational, more so than scientific or technical. Calls for improved integration of monitoring with CE management and decision making are not new, but there has been limited research on how best to integrate environmental monitoring programs to ensure credible CE science and to deliver results that respond to the more immediate questions and needs of regulatory decision makers. This paper examines options for the integration of environmental monitoring with CE frameworks. Based on semistructured interviews with practitioners, regulators, and other experts in the Lower Athabasca, Alberta, Canada, 3 approaches to monitoring system design are presented. First, a distributed monitoring system, reflecting the current approach in the Lower Athabasca, where monitoring is delegated to different external programs and organizations; second, a 1-window system in which monitoring is undertaken by a single, in-house agency for the purpose of informing management and regulatory decision making; third, an independent system driven primarily by CE science and understanding causal relationships, with knowledge adopted for decision support where relevant to specific management questions. The strengths and limitations of each approach are presented. A hybrid approach may be optimal-an independent, nongovernment, 1-window model for CE science, monitoring, and information delivery-capitalizing on the strengths of distributed, 1-window, and independent monitoring systems while mitigating their weaknesses. If governments are committed to solving CE problems, they must invest in the long-term science needed to do so; at the same time, if science-based monitoring programs are to be sustainable over the long term, they must be responsive to the more immediate, often shorter term needs and CE information requirements of decision makers. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:407-417. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

Geophysical Monitoring Methods Evaluation for the FutureGen 2.0 Project

DOE PAGES

Strickland, Chris E.; USA, Richland Washington; Vermeul, Vince R.; ...

2014-12-31

A comprehensive monitoring program will be needed in order to assess the effectiveness of carbon sequestration at the FutureGen 2.0 carbon capture and storage (CCS) field-site. Geophysical monitoring methods are sensitive to subsurface changes that result from injection of CO 2 and will be used for: (1) tracking the spatial extent of the free phase CO 2 plume, (2) monitoring advancement of the pressure front, (3) identifying or mapping areas where induced seismicity occurs, and (4) identifying and mapping regions of increased risk for brine or CO 2 leakage from the reservoir. Site-specific suitability and cost effectiveness were evaluated formore » a number of geophysical monitoring methods including: passive seismic monitoring, reflection seismic imaging, integrated surface deformation, time-lapse gravity, pulsed neutron capture logging, cross-borehole seismic, electrical resistivity tomography, magnetotellurics and controlled source electromagnetics. The results of this evaluation indicate that CO 2 injection monitoring using reflection seismic methods would likely be difficult at the FutureGen 2.0 site. Electrical methods also exhibited low sensitivity to the expected CO 2 saturation changes and would be affected by metallic infrastructure at the field site. Passive seismic, integrated surface deformation, time-lapse gravity, and pulsed neutron capture monitoring were selected for implementation as part of the FutureGen 2.0 storage site monitoring program.« less

Geophysical Monitoring Methods Evaluation for the FutureGen 2.0 Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strickland, Chris E.; USA, Richland Washington; Vermeul, Vince R.

A comprehensive monitoring program will be needed in order to assess the effectiveness of carbon sequestration at the FutureGen 2.0 carbon capture and storage (CCS) field-site. Geophysical monitoring methods are sensitive to subsurface changes that result from injection of CO 2 and will be used for: (1) tracking the spatial extent of the free phase CO 2 plume, (2) monitoring advancement of the pressure front, (3) identifying or mapping areas where induced seismicity occurs, and (4) identifying and mapping regions of increased risk for brine or CO 2 leakage from the reservoir. Site-specific suitability and cost effectiveness were evaluated formore » a number of geophysical monitoring methods including: passive seismic monitoring, reflection seismic imaging, integrated surface deformation, time-lapse gravity, pulsed neutron capture logging, cross-borehole seismic, electrical resistivity tomography, magnetotellurics and controlled source electromagnetics. The results of this evaluation indicate that CO 2 injection monitoring using reflection seismic methods would likely be difficult at the FutureGen 2.0 site. Electrical methods also exhibited low sensitivity to the expected CO 2 saturation changes and would be affected by metallic infrastructure at the field site. Passive seismic, integrated surface deformation, time-lapse gravity, and pulsed neutron capture monitoring were selected for implementation as part of the FutureGen 2.0 storage site monitoring program.« less

Shipboard monitoring of non-CO2 greenhouse gases in Asia and Oceania using commercially cargo vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nara, H.; Tanimoto, H.; Mukai, H.; Nojiri, Y.; Tohjima, Y.; Machida, T.; Hashimoto, S.

2011-12-01

The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) has been performing a long-term program for monitoring trace gases of atmospheric importance over the Pacific Ocean since 1995. The NIES Voluntary Observing Ships (NIES-VOS) program currently makes use of commercial cargo vessels because they operate regularly over fixed routes for long periods and sail over a wide area between various ports (e.g., between Japan and the United States, between Japan and Australia/New Zealand, and between Japan and southeast Asia). This program allows systematic and continuous measurements of non-CO2 greenhouse gases, providing long-term datasets for background air over the Pacific Ocean and regionally polluted air around east Asia. We observe both long-lived greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) and short-lived air pollutants (e.g., tropospheric ozone, carbon monoxide) on a continuous basis. Flask samples are collected for later laboratory analysis of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon monoxide by using gas chromatographic techniques. In addition, we recently installed cavity ringdown spectrometers for high-resolution measurement of methane and carbon dioxide to capture their highly variable features in regionally polluted air around southeast Asia (e.g., Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippine), which is now thought to be a large source due to expanding socioeconomic activities as well as biomass burnings. Contrasting the Japan-Australia/New Zealand and Japan-southeast Asia cruises revealed regional characteristics of sources and sinks of these atmospherically important species, suggesting the existence of additional sources for methane, nitrous oxides, and carbon monoxide in this tropical Asian region.

Summary of a Regional Workshop on Monitoring Programs for the Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum) - Tulsa, Oklahoma, 15-16 November 2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

Terry Shaffer of the USGS-Northern Prairies Wildlife Research Center and Eileen Kirsch of the USGS-Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center...years that variation in chick survival may be the most important factor in overall reproductive success (i.e., Kirsch 1996), monitoring nest success at...Center (NPWRC) o Jennifer Stucker, USGS, NPWRC o Eileen Kirsch , USGS, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center o Mark Sherfy, USGS, NPWRC o

MonitoringResources.org—Supporting coordinated and cost-effective natural resource monitoring across organizations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bayer, Jennifer M.; Scully, Rebecca A.; Weltzin, Jake F.

2018-05-21

Natural resource managers who oversee the Nation’s resources require data to support informed decision-making at a variety of spatial and temporal scales that often cross typical jurisdictional boundaries such as states, agency regions, and watersheds. These data come from multiple agencies, programs, and sources, often with their own methods and standards for data collection and organization. Coordinating standards and methods is often prohibitively time-intensive and expensive. MonitoringResources.org offers a suite of tools and resources that support coordination of monitoring efforts, cost-effective planning, and sharing of knowledge among organizations. The website was developed by the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership—a collaboration of Federal, state, tribal, local, and private monitoring programs—and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with funding from the Bonneville Power Administration and USGS. It is a key component of a coordinated monitoring and information network.

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site environmental report for calendar Year 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoff, D.L.; Mitchell, R.G.; Moore, R.

1991-06-01

The results of the various monitoring programs for 1990 indicate that most radioactivity from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) operations could not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEL Site. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during Site operations, concentrations and doses to the surrounding population were of no health consequence and were far less than State of Idaho and Federal health protection guidelines. The first section of the report summarizes Calendar Year 1990 and January 1 through April 1, 1991, INEL activities related to compliance with environmental regulations and laws. Themore » balance of the report describes the surveillance program, the collection of foodstuffs at the INEL boundary and distant offsite locations, and the collection of air and water samples at onsite locations and offsite boundary and distant locations. The report also compares and evaluates the sample results and discusses implications, if any. Nonradioactive and radioactive effluent monitoring at the Site, and the US Geological Survey (USGS) ground-water monitoring program are also summarized. 33 refs., 18 figs., 29 tabs.« less

Application of Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring under the CAFF Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program: Designing and Implementing Terrestrial Monitoring to Establish the Canadian High Arctic Research Station as a Flagship Arctic Environmental Monitoring Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, D.; Kehler, D.

2016-12-01

The Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) is scheduled for completion in July 2017 and is the northern science component of Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR). A mandated goal for POLAR is to establish the adjacent Experimental and Reference Area (ERA) as an Arctic Flagship monitoring site that will track change in Arctic terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Situated in the community of Cambridge Bay, CHARS provides the opportunity to draw on the Indigenous Knowledge of local residents to help design and conduct the monitoring, and to operate 12 months a year. Monitoring at CHARS will be linked to networks nationally and internationally, and is being designed so that change in key indicators can be understood in terms of drivers and processes, modeled and scaled up regionally, and used to predict important changes in critical indicators. As a partner in the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP), the monitoring design for terrestrial ecosystems follows approaches outlined by the CBMP Terrestrial Expert Monitoring Group, who have listed key monitoring questions and identified a list of important Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs). To link drivers to FECs we are proposing a multi-scaled approach: 1) an Intensive Monitoring Area to establish replicated monitoring plots that track change in snow depth and condition, active layer depth, soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil solution chemistry that are spatially and temporally linked to changes in microbiological activity, CO2/CH4 net ecosystem flux, vegetation relative frequency, species composition, growth and foliar nutrient concentration, arthropod abundance, lemming abundance and health, and shorebird/songbird abundance and productivity. 2) These intensive observations are supported by watershed scale measures that will monitor, during the growing season, lemming winter nest abundance, songbird, shorebird and waterfowl staging and nesting, and other observations; in the winter we will monitor muskoxen, caribou, Arctic hare, wolf and Arctic fox using tracks and DNA analysis of fresh scat. 3) Ground measures will be supported by aerial flights and satellite remote sensing approaches to reach out with regional calibration-validation. Feedback is being sought at this time on project design, implementation and scope.

The butterflies of Barro Colorado Island: Local extinction rates since the 1930's

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Few data are available about the regional or local extinction of tropical butterfly species. When confirmed, local extinction was often due to the loss of host-plant species. We used published lists and recent monitoring programs to evaluate changes in butterfly composition on Barro Colorado Island ...

77 FR 42316 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-18

...; Comment Request AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS. In compliance with the requirement... offices, which have the delegated authority to certify Medicare facilities for participation, and by State... regional offices and by the CMS central office components for program evaluation and monitoring purposes...

Forest resources of the Bitterroot National Forest

Treesearch

Tracey S. Frescino

2008-01-01

The Interior West Resource Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation (IWRIME) Program of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (formerly the Intermountain Research Station), as part of its national Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) duties, entered into a cooperative agreement with the Northern Region for the inventory of the National Forests...

COMPARING STRENGTHS OF GEOGRAPHIC AND NONGEOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATIONS OF STREAM BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, USA

EPA Science Inventory

The US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) sampled - 500 wadeable streams in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region of the US during the late spring of 1993 to 1995 for a variety of physical, chemical, and biological indicat...

Soundwatch: Eighteen years of monitoring whale watch vessel activities in the Salish Sea.

PubMed

Seely, Elizabeth; Osborne, Richard W; Koski, Kari; Larson, Shawn

2017-01-01

The Soundwatch Boater Education Program is a vessel monitoring and public education outreach program. Soundwatch has been run by The Whale Museum (TWM) during the whale watch season (May through September) in the Haro Strait Region of the Central Salish Sea since 1993. Data collection has been in a consistent manner since 1998 and is presented here. The program compiles data on vessel types and vessel interactions with marine mammals with a focus on the Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW), Orcinas orca, which was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2005. The primary goal of the Soundwatch program is to reduce vessel disturbance to SRKWs and other marine wildlife through the education of boaters on regional, local and federal guidelines and regulations and the systematic monitoring of vessel activities around cetaceans. Since 1998, the number of active commercial whale watching vessels has increased over time; ranging from a low of 63 in 1999, to a high of 96 in 2015. In addition, the number of vessel incidents or violation of regulations and guidelines has also increased; ranging from a low of 398 in 1998 to a high of 2621 in 2012. Soundwatch collected data on 23 incident types, some remaining the same over the 18-year data set and some changing over time. The most common incidents over the 18 years were "Within 880 m of Lime Kiln" and "Crossing the path of whales". The numbers of people kayaking near whales also significantly increased since 2004 with the incident "kayaks spread out" with a significantly increasing trend making it difficult for whales to avoid vessels. These results suggest a need for further outreach for effective education and enforcement of whale watching guidelines and regulations in the Central Salish Sea.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Landsat 8 Chlorophyll-a Retrieval Algorithms for Regional Freshwater Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boucher, J. M.; Weathers, K. C.; Norouzi, H.; Prakash, S.; Saberi, S. J.

2016-12-01

Predicting algal blooms has become a priority for municipalities, businesses, and citizens. Remote sensing (RS) offers solutions to the spatial and temporal challenges facing existing lake monitoring programs that rely primarily on high-investment in situ measurements. Techniques to remotely measure chlorophyll-a (chl-a) as a proxy for algal biomass have been limited to large water bodies in particular seasons and chl-a ranges. This study explores the relationship between in-lake measured chl-a data in Maine and New Hampshire and chl-a retrieval algorithms. Landsat 8 images were obtained and required atmospheric and radiometric corrections. Six indices including the NDVI and KIVU algorithms were tested to validate their applicability on a regional scale on ten scenes from 2013-2015 covering 169 lakes. In addition, more robust novel models were also explored. For late-summer scenes, existing algorithms accounted for nearly 90% of the variation in in-situ measurements, however, we found a significant effect of time of year on each index. A sensitivity analysis revealed that rainfall in the region as well as a longer time difference between in situ measurements and the satellite image increased noise in the models. The quantification of these confounding influences points to potential solutions such as incorporating remotely sensed water temperature into models as a proxy of seasonal effects. Novel models built to fit particular scenes reduced this variability, but they required more satellite band inputs that do not yet have a clear ecological relevance. These results suggest that RS could be an effective and accessible tool for monitoring programs at the regional scale. Although they are subject to some of the limitations of traditional monitoring imposed by the weather, high-resolution satellites like Landsat 8 provide a promising opportunity for protecting freshwater resources.

Contributions of Arctic PRISM to monitoring western hemispheric shorebirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skagen, Susan K.; Smith, Paul A.; Andres, Brad A.; Donaldson, Garry; Brown, Stephen

2012-01-01

Long-term monitoring of populations is of paramount importance to understanding responses oforganisms to global environmental change and to evaluating whether conservation practices are yielding intended results through time (Wiens 2009). The population status of many shorebird species, the focus of this volume, remain poorly known. Long-distance migrant shorebirds have proven particularly difficult to monitor, in part because of their highly migratory nature and ranges that extend into highly inaccessible regions. As migrant shorebirds travel the length of the hemisphere, they congregate and disperse in ways that vary among species, locations, and years, presenting serious challenges to designing and implementing monitoring programs. Rigorous field and quantitative methods that estimate population size and monitor trends are vitally needed to direct and evaluate effective conservation measures. Many management efforts depend on unbiased population size estimates; for example, the shorebird conservation plans for both Canada and the United States seek to restore populations to levels calculated for the 1970s based on the best information available from existing surveys. Further, federal wildlife agencies within the United States and Canada have mandates to understand the state of their nations' resources under various conventions for the protection of migratory birds. Accurate estimates of population size are vital statistics for a variety of conservation activities, such as prioritizing species for conservation action and setting management targets. Areas of essential habitat, such as those designated under the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, the Important Bird Areas program of BirdLife International and the National Audubon Society, or Canada's National Wildlife Areas program, are all evaluated on the basis ofproportions of species' populations which they contain. The size, and trends in size, ofa species' population are considered key information for assessing its vulnerability and subsequent listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Canadian Species at Risk Act. To meet the need for information on population size and trends, shorebird biologists from Canada and the United States proposed a shared blueprint for shorebird monitoring across the Western Hemisphere in the late 1990s; this effort was undertaken in concert with the development of the Canadian and U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plans (Donaldson et al. 2000, Brown et aL 2001). Soon thereafter, partners in the monitoring effort adopted the name "Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring" (PRISM). Among the primary objectives of PRISM were to estimate the population sizes and trends of breeding North American shorebirds and describe their distributions (Bart et al. 2002). PRISM members evaluated ongoing and potential monitoring approaches to address 74 taxa (including subspecies) and proposed a combination of arctic andboreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding and non-breeding surveys, and neotropical surveys.

Airborne particle monitoring in clean room environments for stem cell cultures.

PubMed

Cobo, Fernando; Grela, David; Concha, Angel

2008-01-01

Modern high-technology industrial practices like pharmaceutical and stem cell line production demand high-quality environmental conditions to avoid particle contamination in the final product. Particles are important because their presence can affect both the output and the productivity and because they can have repercussion on human health. In this kind of production practice it is necessary to implement optimal methods for particle management and to introduce an environmental monitoring program. This should also address the regional regulatory requirements and will depend on local conditions in each processing center. Each center must evaluate its specific needs and establish appropriate monitoring procedures.

Global health diplomacy, national integration, and regional development through the monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Samoa.

PubMed

Kevany, Sebastian; Gildea, Amy; Garae, Caleb; Moa, Serafi; Lautusi, Avaia

2015-04-27

The South Pacific countries of Vanuatu, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea have ascended rapidly up the development spectrum in recent years, refining an independent and post-colonial economic and political identity that enhances their recognition on the world stage. All three countries have overcome economic, political and public health challenges in order to stake their claim to sovereignty. In this regard, the contributions of national and international programs for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, with specific reference to their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aspects, have contributed not just to public health, but also to broader political and diplomatic goals such as 'nation-building'. This perspective describes the specific contributions of global health programs to the pursuit of national integration, development, and regional international relations, in Vanuatu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, respectively, based on in-country M&E activities on behalf of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) during 2014 and 2015. Key findings include: (1) that global health programs contribute to non-health goals; (2) that HIV/AIDS programs promote international relations, decentralized development, and internal unity; (3) that arguments in favour of the maintenance and augmentation of global health funding may be enhanced on this basis; and (4) that "smart" global health approaches have been successful in South Pacific countries. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

MercNet: A national monitoring network to assess responses to changing mercury emissions in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmeltz, D.; Evers, D.C.; Driscoll, C.T.; Artz, R.; Cohen, M.; Gay, D.; Haeuber, R.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Mason, R.; Morris, K.; Wiener, J.G.

2011-01-01

A partnership of federal and state agencies, tribes, industry, and scientists from academic research and environmental organizations is establishing a national, policy-relevant mercury monitoring network, called MercNet, to address key questions concerning changes in anthropogenic mercury emissions and deposition, associated linkages to ecosystem effects, and recovery from mercury contamination. This network would quantify mercury in the atmosphere, land, water, and biota in terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems to provide a national scientific capability for evaluating the benefits and effectiveness of emission controls. Program development began with two workshops, convened to establish network goals, to select key indicators for monitoring, to propose a geographic network of monitoring sites, and to design a monitoring plan. MercNet relies strongly on multi-institutional partnerships to secure the capabilities and comprehensive data that are needed to develop, calibrate, and refine predictive mercury models and to guide effective management. Ongoing collaborative efforts include the: (1) development of regional multi-media databases on mercury in the Laurentian Great Lakes, northeastern United States, and eastern Canada; (2) syntheses and reporting of these data for the scientific and policy communities; and (3) evaluation of potential monitoring sites. The MercNet approach could be applied to the development of other monitoring programs, such as emerging efforts to monitor and assess global mercury emission controls. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC (outside the USA).

[History and present status of butterfly monitoring in Europe and related development strategies for China].

PubMed

Fang, Li-Jun; Xu, Hai-Gen; Guan, Jian-Ling

2013-09-01

Butterfly is an important bio-indicator for biodiversity monitoring and ecological environment assessment. In Europe, the species composition, population dynamics, and distribution pattern of butterfly have been monitored for decades, and many long-term monitoring schemes with international effects have been implemented. These schemes are aimed to assess the regional and national variation trends of butterfly species abundance, and to analyze the relationships of this species abundance with habitat, climate change, and other environmental factors, providing basic data for researching, protecting, and utilizing butterfly resources and predicting environmental changes, and playing important roles in the division of butterfly' s threatened level, the formulation of related protection measures, and the protection and management of ecological environment. This paper reviewed the history and present status of butterfly monitoring in Europe, with the focus on the well-known long-term monitoring programs, e. g. , the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and the Germany and European Union Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. Some specific proposals for conducting butterflies monitoring in China were suggested.

Framework for a ground-water quality monitoring and assessment program for California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belitz, Kenneth; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Burow, Karen; Jurgens, Bryant C.; John, Tyler

2003-01-01

The State of California uses more ground water than any other State in the Nation. With a population of over 30 million people, an agricultural economy based on intensive irrigation, large urban industrial areas, and naturally elevated concentrations of some trace elements, there is a wide range of contaminant sources that have the potential to contaminate ground water and limit its beneficial uses. In response to the many-and different-potential sources of ground-water contamination, the State of California has evolved an extensive set of rules and programs to protect ground-water quality, and agencies to implement the rules and programs. These programs have in common a focus on compliance with regulations governing chemical use and (or) ground-water quality. Although appropriate for, and successful at, their specific missions, these programs do not at present provide a comprehensive view of ground-water quality in the State of California. In October 2001, The California Assembly passed a bill, AB 599, establishing the Ground-Water- Quality Monitoring Act of 2001.' The goal of AB 599 is to improve Statewide comprehensive ground-water monitoring and increase availability of information about ground-water quality to the public. AB 599 requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), in collaboration with an interagency task force (ITF) and a public advisory committee (PAC), to develop a plan for a comprehensive ground-water monitoring program. AB 599 specifies that the comprehensive program should be capable of assessing each ground-water basin in the State through direct and other statistically reliable sampling approaches, and that the program should integrate existing monitoring programs and design new program elements, as necessary. AB 599 also stresses the importance of prioritizing ground-water basins that provide drinking water. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the SWRCB, and in coordination with the ITF and PAC, has developed a framework for a comprehensive ground-water-quality monitoring and assessment program for California. The proposed framework relies extensively on previous work conducted by the USGS through its National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. In particular, the NAWQA program defines three types of ground-water assessment: (1) status, the assessment of the current quality of the ground-water resource; (2) trends, the detection of changes in water quality, and (3) understanding, assessing the human and natural factors that affect ground-water quality. A Statewide, comprehensive ground-water quality-monitoring and assessment program is most efficiently accomplished by applying uniform and consistent study-design and data-collection protocols to the entire State. At the same time, a comprehensive program should be relevant at a variety of scales, and therefore needs to retain flexibility to address regional and local issues. Consequently, many of the program components include a predominant element that will be consistently applied in all basins, and a secondary element that may be applied in specific basins where local conditions warrant attention.

Adventures in Citizen Science: Lessons learned engaging volunteer water quality monitors for over 30 years.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schloss, J. A.

2012-12-01

The New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program was originally designed by faculty at the University of New Hampshire in 1979 to provide the capacity to better monitor for long-term lake water quality changes and trends. As participants became educated, empowered and engaged the program soon evolved to also become a participatory research enterprise. This resulted in not only providing useful information for informed local stewardship and protection at the local level but also for state and region-wide decision-making, state and federal assessments/reporting and advancing our understanding of lake and watershed science. Our successes and failures have been more dependent on understanding the particular human dimensions that influence our volunteers and less to do with the typical project management, quality assurance, and communication concerns we typically deal with in professional based research efforts. Our participants are extremely diverse in terms of their life experiences, interests and motivations so the key to long-term commitment and high quality participation is understanding the difference between a citizen monitor and your archetypical research technician or student. This presentation will highlight some important lessons learned on how to involve various types of volunteers from school groups to retirees, as well as particular approaches and concerns regarding program management, retention, quality control and communications.

Pollution monitoring using networks of honey bees

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bromenshenk, J.J.; Dewart, M.L.; Thomas, J.M.

1983-08-01

Each year thousands of chemicals in large quantities are introduced into the global environment and the need for effective methods of monitoring these substances has steadily increased. Most monitoring programs rely upon instrumentation to measure specific contaminants in air, water, or soil. However, it has become apparent that humans and their environment are exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals rather than single entities. As our ability to detect ever smaller quantities of pollutants has increased, the biological significance of these findings has become more uncertain. Also, it is clear that monitoring efforts should shift from short-term studies of easily identifiablemore » sources in localized areas to long-term studies of multiple sources over widespread regions. Our investigations aim at providing better tools to meet these exigencies. Honey bees are discussed as an effective, long-term, self-sustaining system for monitoring environmental impacts. Our results indicate that the use of regional, and possibly national or international, capability can be realized with the aid of beekeepers in obtaining samples and conducting measurements. This approach has the added advantage of public involvement in environmental problem solving and protection of human health and environmental quality.« less

Monitoring of diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) resistance to spinosad, indoxacarb, and emamectin benzoate.

PubMed

Zhao, J Z; Collins, H L; Li, Y X; Mau, R F L; Thompson, G D; Hertlein, M; Andaloro, J T; Boykin, R; Shelton, A M

2006-02-01

Six to nine populations of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), were collected annually from fields of crucifer vegetables in the United States and Mexico from 2001 to 2004 for baseline susceptibility tests and resistance monitoring to spinosad, indoxacarb, and emamectin benzoate. A discriminating concentration for resistance monitoring to indoxacarb and emamectin benzoate was determined based on baseline data in 2001 and was used in the diagnostic assay for each population in 2002-2004 together with a discriminating concentration for spinosad determined previously. Most populations were susceptible to all three insecticides, but a population from Hawaii in 2003 showed high levels of resistance to indoxacarb. Instances of resistance to spinosad occurred in Hawaii (2000), Georgia (2001), and California (2002) as a consequence of a few years of extensive applications in each region. The collaborative monitoring program between university and industry scientists we discuss in this article has provided useful information to both parties as well as growers who use the products. These studies provide a baseline for developing a more effective resistance management program for diamondback moth.

Changes in latitude, changes in attitude - biogeographic patterns of nonindigenous estuarine and near-coastal species in the Northeast Pacific

EPA Science Inventory

Biogeographic patterns of estuarine and near-coastal invaders in the Northeast Pacific (NEP) are beginning to emerge based on regional surveys by U.S. EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and the EPA/USGS synthesis of native and nonindigenous species in th...

IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIPS IN THE HUDSON-RARITAN ESTUARY AND RELATED SUB-BASINS

EPA Science Inventory

The US EP A's Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP) conducted a study in 1993/94 to assess the effects of sediment contamination in the Hudson- Raritan area (Upper New York, Raritan Bay, Jamaica Bay, western Long Island Sound and the Bight Apex). This s...

STREAM BIOASSESSMENTS AND HOW TAXONOMIC RESOLUTION AFFECTS OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

During late spring 1993-1995, the USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) sampled wadeable streams in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. for a variety of physical, chemical, and biological indicators of environmental condition. A representative set of abou...

A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE EMAP-W BENTHIC MACROFAUNAL SAMPLE UNIT

EPA Science Inventory

The standard EPA West Coast Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP-W) benthic macrofaunal sampling protocol is to collect 30-50 random benthic samples per reporting unit (e.g., estuary, region) using a 0.1 m2 grab and to sort out macrofauna using a 1.0 mm mesh scre...

How Good and Useful Are Air Pollution Models?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Science and Technology, 1973

1973-01-01

The Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) to be conducted in St. Louis, is the largest air monitoring program of the Environmental Protection Agency. A key segment will be the collection of a data base on which this system of mathematical models can be tested and upon which submodels can be validated. (BL)

COMPARING THE STRENGTHS OF GEOGRAPHIC AND NON-GEOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATIONS OF STREAM BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, USA

EPA Science Inventory

The US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) sampled approximately 500 wadeable streams in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region of the US during the late spring of 1993 to 1995 for a variety of physical, chemical and biologi...

IBIS FOR FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATES DEVELOPED FOR GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS: AN EPA REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (REMAP) PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

The research from this REMAP project produced results that demonstrate various stages of an assessment strategy and produced tools including an inventory classification, field methods and multimetric biotic indices that are now available for use by environmental resource managers...

Governance, organization, accountability and sustainability of a region-wide school-based deworming program in Loreto, Peru

PubMed Central

Rodriguez Ferrucci, H; Razuri, H; Casapia, M; Rahme, E; Silva, H; Ault, S; Blouin, B; Mofid, LS; Montresor, A; Gyorkos, TW

2017-01-01

Chau Cuica was the name given by the regional government of Loreto in Peru for its school-based deworming program which was initiated in 2012 with a donation of mebendazole from an international non-governmental organization. Embedded in the program from the start was a sentinel surveillance component which consisted of 16 sentinel schools representing Loreto’s seven provinces. Coverage rates varied between 35% and 61% over the first two years of the program (and seven deworming cycles). Initial prevalences of soil-transmitted helminth infections were high, with 82.4% of schoolchildren having at least one infection and prevalences of both A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infections both exceeding 60%. After two years, these prevalences had dropped to 56% for any STH infection, 38% for A. lumbricoides and 34% for T. trichiura. Importantly, the proportions of children with moderate and heavy infections also dropped. Both the regional Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education were jointly charged to implement this deworming program. The program’s costs were estimated to be approximately 22 cents (USD) per child per deworming cycle. The responsibility for the surveillance component was initially undertaken by research partners from a local NGO and a Canadian university, which transferred gradually over the course of the deworming program to being entirely the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. This regional deworming program may serve as a model for other jurisdictions who are planning a school-based deworming program with an integrated surveillance component to monitor impact. PMID:27048990

U.S. Policy Approaches for Maintaining Stability in the Asia-Pacific Region: History, Economics, and Soft Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) CDR Scott N. Richardson United States Navy 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK...UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) U.S. Army Command and General Staff College ATTN: ATZL-SWD-GD Fort Leavenworth, KS...66027-2301 8. PERFORMING ORG REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program

Community-based water-quality monitoring in the Yukon River Basin and the Kuskokwim Watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herman-Mercer, Nicole M.

2013-01-01

The unique partnership between the USGS and the YRITWC provides mutual benefits by fostering outreach efforts that have been essential for community empowerment and by generating scientific data for prohibitively large and remote regions that would be challenging for USGS scientists to sample as robustly alone. The addition of a new partnership with the KRWC to create a community-based monitoring program will only increase these benefits by growing the spatial extent of data collection and empowering more people to take charge of important science in their own backyard.

CHANGES IN THE REGIONAL PREVALENCE OF CHILD OBESITY IN 4th, 8th, AND 11th GRADE STUDENTS IN TEXAS FROM 2000–2002 TO 2004–2005

PubMed Central

Kelder, S. H.; Pérez, A.; Day, R. S.; Benoit, J.; Frankowski, R. F.; Walker, J. L.; Lee, E. S.

2016-01-01

Although national and state estimates of child obesity are available, data at these levels are insufficient to monitor effects of local obesity prevention initiatives. The purpose of this study was to examine regional changes in the prevalence of obesity due to state-wide policies and programs among children in grades 4, 8, and 11 in Texas Health Service Regions (HSR) between 2000–2002 and 2004–2005, and nine selected counties in 2004–2005. A cross-sectional, probability-based sample of 23,190 Texas students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were weighed and measured to obtain body mass index (BMI). Obesity was greater than 95th percentile for BMI by age/sex using CDC growth charts. Child obesity prevalence significantly decreased between 2000–2002 and 2004–2005 for 4th grade students in the El Paso HSR (−7.0%, p=0.005). A leveling off in the prevalence of obesity was noted for all other regions for grades 4, 8 and 11. County-level data supported the statistically significant decreases noted in the El Paso region. The reduction of child obesity levels observed in the El Paso area is one of the few examples of effective programs and policies based on a population-wide survey: in this region, a local foundation funded extensive regional implementation of community programs for obesity prevention, including an evidence-based elementary school-based health promotion program, adult nutrition and physical activity programs, and a radio and television advertising campaign. Results emphasize the need for sustained school, community and policy efforts, and that these efforts can result in decreases in child obesity at the population level. PMID:19798066

An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the first in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). This first report provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind collecting HF measurements, and describes the benefits associated with a real-time, continuous, HF, multi-parameter water quality monitoring station network that is co-located with flow stations. It then provides examples of how HF nutrient measurements have improved our understating of nutrient sources and cycling in aquatic systems worldwide, followed by specific examples from the Delta. These examples describe the ways in which HF instrumentation may be used for both fixed-station and spatial assessments. The overall intent of this document is to describe how HF measurements currently (2017) are being used in the Delta to examine the relationship between nutrient concentrations, nutrient cycling, and aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the northern Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first, at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event (for example, storms, reservoir releases, phytoplankton blooms) timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This multi-scale, high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF monitoring is necessary for understanding and assessing flux-based processes and outcomes in tidal environments, such as the Delta.The third report in the series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017) provides information about how to design HF nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for assessment of nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Delta. The report provides background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues with questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient‑monitoring network designs for the Delta. For the three example networks, we assess how they would address high-priority questions identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).

Ecological monitoring for assessing the state of the nearshore and open waters of the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neilson, Melanie A.; Painter, D. Scott; Warren, Glenn; Hites, Ronald A.; Basu, Ilora; Weseloh, D.V. Chip; Whittle, D. Michael; Christie, Gavin; Barbiero, Richard; Tuchman, Marc; Johannsson, Ora E.; Nalepa, Thomas F.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Fleischer, Guy; Bronte, Charles; Smith, Stephen B.; Baumann, Paul C.

2003-01-01

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement stipulates that the Governments of Canada and the United States are responsible for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. Due to varying mandates and areas of expertise, monitoring to assess progress towards this objective is conducted by a multitude of Canadian and U.S. federal and provincial/state agencies, in cooperation with academia and regional authorities. This paper highlights selected long-term monitoring programs and discusses a number of documented ecological changes that indicate the present state of the open and nearshore waters of the Great Lakes.

Demand Side Management: An approach to peak load smoothing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Prachi

A preliminary national-level analysis was conducted to determine whether Demand Side Management (DSM) programs introduced by electric utilities since 1992 have made any progress towards their stated goal of reducing peak load demand. Estimates implied that DSM has a very small effect on peak load reduction and there is substantial regional and end-user variability. A limited scholarly literature on DSM also provides evidence in support of a positive effect of demand response programs. Yet, none of these studies examine the question of how DSM affects peak load at the micro-level by influencing end-users' response to prices. After nearly three decades of experience with DSM, controversy remains over how effective these programs have been. This dissertation considers regional analyses that explore both demand-side solutions and supply-side interventions. On the demand side, models are estimated to provide in-depth evidence of end-user consumption patterns for each North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) region, helping to identify sectors in regions that have made a substantial contribution to peak load reduction. The empirical evidence supports the initial hypothesis that there is substantial regional and end-user variability of reductions in peak demand. These results are quite robust in rapidly-urbanizing regions, where air conditioning and lighting load is substantially higher, and regions where the summer peak is more pronounced than the winter peak. It is also evident from the regional experiences that active government involvement, as shaped by state regulations in the last few years, has been successful in promoting DSM programs, and perhaps for the same reason we witness an uptick in peak load reductions in the years 2008 and 2009. On the supply side, we estimate the effectiveness of DSM programs by analyzing the growth of capacity margin with the introduction of DSM programs. The results indicate that DSM has been successful in offsetting the need for additional production capacity by the means of demand response measures, but the success is limited to only a few regions. The rate of progress in the future will depend on a wide range of improved technologies and a continuous government monitoring for successful adoption of demand response programs to manage growing energy demand.

Systems approach to monitoring and evaluation guides scale up of the Standard Days Method of family planning in Rwanda.

PubMed

Igras, Susan; Sinai, Irit; Mukabatsinda, Marie; Ngabo, Fidele; Jennings, Victoria; Lundgren, Rebecka

2014-05-01

There is no guarantee that a successful pilot program introducing a reproductive health innovation can also be expanded successfully to the national or regional level, because the scaling-up process is complex and multilayered. This article describes how a successful pilot program to integrate the Standard Days Method (SDM) of family planning into existing Ministry of Health services was scaled up nationally in Rwanda. Much of the success of the scale-up effort was due to systematic use of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data from several sources to make midcourse corrections. Four lessons learned illustrate this crucially important approach. First, ongoing M&E data showed that provider training protocols and client materials that worked in the pilot phase did not work at scale; therefore, we simplified these materials to support integration into the national program. Second, triangulation of ongoing monitoring data with national health facility and population-based surveys revealed serious problems in supply chain mechanisms that affected SDM (and the accompanying CycleBeads client tool) availability and use; new procedures for ordering supplies and monitoring stockouts were instituted at the facility level. Third, supervision reports and special studies revealed that providers were imposing unnecessary medical barriers to SDM use; refresher training and revised supervision protocols improved provider practices. Finally, informal environmental scans, stakeholder interviews, and key events timelines identified shifting political and health policy environments that influenced scale-up outcomes; ongoing advocacy efforts are addressing these issues. The SDM scale-up experience in Rwanda confirms the importance of monitoring and evaluating programmatic efforts continuously, using a variety of data sources, to improve program outcomes.

Systems approach to monitoring and evaluation guides scale up of the Standard Days Method of family planning in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Igras, Susan; Sinai, Irit; Mukabatsinda, Marie; Ngabo, Fidele; Jennings, Victoria; Lundgren, Rebecka

2014-01-01

There is no guarantee that a successful pilot program introducing a reproductive health innovation can also be expanded successfully to the national or regional level, because the scaling-up process is complex and multilayered. This article describes how a successful pilot program to integrate the Standard Days Method (SDM) of family planning into existing Ministry of Health services was scaled up nationally in Rwanda. Much of the success of the scale-up effort was due to systematic use of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data from several sources to make midcourse corrections. Four lessons learned illustrate this crucially important approach. First, ongoing M&E data showed that provider training protocols and client materials that worked in the pilot phase did not work at scale; therefore, we simplified these materials to support integration into the national program. Second, triangulation of ongoing monitoring data with national health facility and population-based surveys revealed serious problems in supply chain mechanisms that affected SDM (and the accompanying CycleBeads client tool) availability and use; new procedures for ordering supplies and monitoring stockouts were instituted at the facility level. Third, supervision reports and special studies revealed that providers were imposing unnecessary medical barriers to SDM use; refresher training and revised supervision protocols improved provider practices. Finally, informal environmental scans, stakeholder interviews, and key events timelines identified shifting political and health policy environments that influenced scale-up outcomes; ongoing advocacy efforts are addressing these issues. The SDM scale-up experience in Rwanda confirms the importance of monitoring and evaluating programmatic efforts continuously, using a variety of data sources, to improve program outcomes. PMID:25276581

Measurements of slope current and environmental geochemistry near the western boundary of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noble, Marlene A.; Xu, Jingping; Kolak, Jon; Gartner, Anne L.; Rosenberger, Kurt J.

2007-01-01

For nearly a decade, dredged material from San Francisco Bay has been deposited at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX designated disposal site on the continental slope west of the Farallon Islands. Over the past several years, annual disposal volumes have ranged from 136,170 m3 (61 barge loads) to 2,407,600 m3 (1,173 barge loads) (Ota, personal communication, 2000). The EPA has conducted extensive studies to evaluate the fate and effects of the disposed material (Abdelrhman, 1992; Tetra-Tech, 1992; SAIC, 1992). The EPA has also maintained a long-term monitoring program to collect hydrodynamic, sedimentary, chemical, and biological data that are used to determine whether the dredged material adversely affects the ecology of adjacent water bodies and whether it moves from the disposal site, especially into the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. As part of this monitoring program, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) deployed arrays of instruments on three moorings near the EPA disposal site from November 1997 to November 1998. This report describes the results and findings of this field monitoring experiment.

A SOA-Based Solution to Monitor Vaccination Coverage Among HIV-Infected Patients in Liguria.

PubMed

Giannini, Barbara; Gazzarata, Roberta; Sticchi, Laura; Giacomini, Mauro

2016-01-01

Vaccination in HIV-infected patients constitutes an essential tool in the prevention of the most common infectious diseases. The Ligurian Vaccination in HIV Program is a proposed vaccination schedule specifically dedicated to this risk group. Selective strategies are proposed within this program, employing ICT (Information and Communication) tools to identify this susceptible target group, to monitor immunization coverage over time and to manage failures and defaulting. The proposal is to connect an immunization registry system to an existing regional platform that allows clinical data re-use among several medical structures, to completely manage the vaccination process. This architecture will adopt a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach and standard HSSP (Health Services Specification Program) interfaces to support interoperability. According to the presented solution, vaccination administration information retrieved from the immunization registry will be structured according to the specifications within the immunization section of the HL7 (Health Level 7) CCD (Continuity of Care Document) document. Immunization coverage will be evaluated through the continuous monitoring of serology and antibody titers gathered from the hospital LIS (Laboratory Information System) structured into a HL7 Version 3 (v3) Clinical Document Architecture Release 2 (CDA R2).

Cluster-search based monitoring of local earthquakes in SeisComP3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roessler, D.; Becker, J.; Ellguth, E.; Herrnkind, S.; Weber, B.; Henneberger, R.; Blanck, H.

2016-12-01

We present a new cluster-search based SeisComP3 module for locating local and regional earthquakes in real time. Real-time earthquake monitoring systems such as SeisComP3 provide the backbones for earthquake early warning (EEW), tsunami early warning (TEW) and the rapid assessment of natural and induced seismicity. For any earthquake monitoring system fast and accurate event locations are fundamental determining the reliability and the impact of further analysis. SeisComP3 in the OpenSource version includes a two-stage detector for picking P waves and a phase associator for locating earthquakes based on P-wave detections. scanloc is a more advanced earthquake location program developed by gempa GmbH with seamless integration into SeisComP3. scanloc performs advanced cluster search to discriminate earthquakes occurring closely in space and time and makes additional use of S-wave detections. It has proven to provide fast and accurate earthquake locations at local and regional distances where it outperforms the base SeisComP3 tools. We demonstrate the performance of scanloc for monitoring induced seismicity as well as local and regional earthquakes in different tectonic regimes including subduction, spreading and intra-plate regions. In particular we present examples and catalogs from real-time monitoring of earthquake in Northern Chile based on data from the IPOC network by GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences for the recent years. Depending on epicentral distance and data transmission, earthquake locations are available within a few seconds after origin time when using scanloc. The association of automatic S-wave detections provides a better constraint on focal depth.

Long-term environmental monitoring for assessment of change: measurement inconsistencies over time and potential solutions.

PubMed

Ellingsen, Kari E; Yoccoz, Nigel G; Tveraa, Torkild; Hewitt, Judi E; Thrush, Simon F

2017-10-30

The importance of long-term environmental monitoring and research for detecting and understanding changes in ecosystems and human impacts on natural systems is widely acknowledged. Over the last decades, a number of critical components for successful long-term monitoring have been identified. One basic component is quality assurance/quality control protocols to ensure consistency and comparability of data. In Norway, the authorities require environmental monitoring of the impacts of the offshore petroleum industry on the Norwegian continental shelf, and in 1996, a large-scale regional environmental monitoring program was established. As a case study, we used a sub-set of data from this monitoring to explore concepts regarding best practices for long-term environmental monitoring. Specifically, we examined data from physical and chemical sediment samples and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages from 11 stations from six sampling occasions during the period 1996-2011. Despite the established quality assessment and quality control protocols for this monitoring program, we identified several data challenges, such as missing values and outliers, discrepancies in variable and station names, changes in procedures without calibration, and different taxonomic resolution. Furthermore, we show that the use of different laboratories over time makes it difficult to draw conclusions with regard to some of the observed changes. We offer recommendations to facilitate comparison of data over time. We also present a new procedure to handle different taxonomic resolution, so valuable historical data is not discarded. These topics have a broader relevance and application than for our case study.

AREA MONITORING OF AMBIENT DOSE RATES IN PARTS OF SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA USING A GPS-INTEGRATED RADIATION SURVEY METER.

PubMed

Okeyode, I C; Rabiu, J A; Alatise, O O; Makinde, V; Akinboro, F G; Al-Azmi, D; Mustapha, A O

2017-04-01

A radiation monitoring system comprising a Geiger-Muller counter connected to a smart phone via Bluetooth was used for a dose rate survey in some parts of south-western Nigeria. The smart phone has the Geographical Positioning System, which provides the navigation information and saves it along with the dose rate data. A large number of data points was obtained that shows the dose rate distribution within the region. The results show that the ambient dose rates in the region range from 60 to 520 nSv -1 and showed a bias that is attributable to the influence of geology on the ambient radiation dose in the region. The geology influence was demonstrated by superimposing the dose rate plot and the geological map of the area. The potential applications of the device in determining baseline information and in area monitoring, e.g. for lost or abandoned sources, radioactive materials stockpiles, etc., were discussed in the article, particularly against the background of Nigeria's plan to develop its nuclear power program. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Antiretroviral Therapy Program Expansion in Zambézia Province, Mozambique: Geospatial Mapping of Community-Based and Health Facility Data for Integrated Health Planning

PubMed Central

Moon, Troy D.; Ossemane, Ezequiel B.; Green, Ann F.; Ndatimana, Elisée; José, Eurico; Buehler, Charlotte P.; Wester, C. William; Vermund, Sten H.; Olupona, Omo

2014-01-01

Objective To generate maps reflecting the intersection of community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) delivery points with facility-based HIV program demographic information collected at the district level in three districts (Ile, Maganja da Costa and Chinde) of Zambézia Province, Mozambique; in order to guide planning decisions about antiretroviral therapy (ART) program expansion. Methods Program information was harvested from two separate open source databases maintained for community-based VCT and facility-based HIV care and treatment monitoring from October 2011 to September 2012. Maps were created using ArcGIS 10.1. Travel distance by foot within a 10 km radius is generally considered a tolerable distance in Mozambique for purposes of adherence and retention planning. Results Community-based VCT activities in each of three districts were clustered within geographic proximity to clinics providing ART, within communities with easier transportation access, and/or near the homes of VCT volunteers. Community HIV testing results yielded HIV seropositivity rates in some regions that were incongruent with the Ministry of Health’s estimates for the entire district (2–13% vs. 2% in Ile, 2–54% vs. 11.5% in Maganja da Costa, and 23–43% vs. 14.4% in Chinde). All 3 districts revealed gaps in regional disbursement of community-based VCT activities as well as access to clinics offering ART. Conclusions Use of geospatial mapping in the context of program planning and monitoring allowed for characterizing the location and size of each district’s HIV population. In extremely resource limited and logistically challenging settings, maps are valuable tools for informing evidence-based decisions in planning program expansion, including ART. PMID:25329169

Co-authorship Network Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Strategic Planning of Research, Development and Capacity Building Programs on Neglected Diseases

PubMed Central

Morel, Carlos Medicis; Serruya, Suzanne Jacob; Penna, Gerson Oliveira; Guimarães, Reinaldo

2009-01-01

Background New approaches and tools were needed to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of a Program launched by the Brazilian Government to fund research, development and capacity building on neglected tropical diseases with strong focus on the North, Northeast and Center-West regions of the country where these diseases are prevalent. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on demographic, epidemiological and burden of disease data, seven diseases were selected by the Ministry of Health as targets of the initiative. Publications on these diseases by Brazilian researchers were retrieved from international databases, analyzed and processed with text-mining tools in order to standardize author- and institution's names and addresses. Co-authorship networks based on these publications were assembled, visualized and analyzed with social network analysis software packages. Network visualization and analysis generated new information, allowing better design and strategic planning of the Program, enabling decision makers to characterize network components by area of work, identify institutions as well as authors playing major roles as central hubs or located at critical network cut-points and readily detect authors or institutions participating in large international scientific collaborating networks. Conclusions/Significance Traditional criteria used to monitor and evaluate research proposals or R&D Programs, such as researchers' productivity and impact factor of scientific publications, are of limited value when addressing research areas of low productivity or involving institutions from endemic regions where human resources are limited. Network analysis was found to generate new and valuable information relevant to the strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of the Program. It afforded a more proactive role of the funding agencies in relation to public health and equity goals, to scientific capacity building objectives and a more consistent engagement of institutions and authors from endemic regions based on innovative criteria and parameters anchored on objective scientific data. PMID:19688044

Impact of Cross-Sectoral Alcohol Policy on Youth Alcohol Consumption.

PubMed

de Goeij, Moniek C M; Jacobs, Monique A M; van Nierop, Peter; van der Veeken-Vlassak, Ivanka A G; van de Mheen, Dike; Schoenmakers, Tim M; Harting, Janneke; Kunst, Anton E

2016-07-01

Cross-sectoral alcohol policy is recommended to reduce youth alcohol consumption, but little evidence is available on its effectiveness. Therefore, we examined whether regions and municipalities in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant with stronger cross-sectoral alcohol policy showed larger reductions in alcohol consumption among adolescents aged 12-15. Strong regional cross-sectoral alcohol policy was defined as participation in a regional alcohol prevention program. Strong municipal cross-sectoral alcohol policy was operationalized by measures on (a) sector variety: involvement of different policy sectors, and (b) strategy variety: formulation of different policy strategies. Relevant data from policy documents were searched for on the Internet. Data on trends in alcohol consumption were extracted from the 2007 and 2011 cross-sectional Youth Health Monitor that includes a random subset of adolescents aged 12-15 (n = 15,380 in 2007 and n = 15,437 in 2011). We used multilevel regression models. Two of the three regions in which municipalities participated in a regional alcohol prevention program showed a larger reduction in weekly drinking than the region in which municipalities did not participate (-12.2% and -13.4% vs. -8.3%). Municipalities with strong compared to weak sector variety showed a larger increase in adolescents' age at consuming their first alcoholic drink (0.63 vs. 0.42 years). Municipalities with strong strategy variety showed a decrease (-3.8%) in heavy weekly drinking, whereas those with weak variety showed an increase (5.1%). Cross-sectoral alcohol policy did not affect trends in other alcohol outcomes. Our results suggest that strong cross-sectoral alcohol policy may contribute to reducing some aspects of youth alcohol consumption. Monitoring policy implementation is needed to assess the full impact.

An overview of data integration methods for regional assessment.

PubMed

Locantore, Nicholas W; Tran, Liem T; O'Neill, Robert V; McKinnis, Peter W; Smith, Elizabeth R; O'Connell, Michael

2004-06-01

The U.S. Environmental Protections Agency's (U.S. EPA) Regional Vulnerability Assessment(ReVA) program has focused much of its research over the last five years on developing and evaluating integration methods for spatial data. An initial strategic priority was to use existing data from monitoring programs, model results, and other spatial data. Because most of these data were not collected with an intention of integrating into a regional assessment of conditions and vulnerabilities, issues exist that may preclude the use of some methods or require some sort of data preparation. Additionally, to support multi-criteria decision-making, methods need to be able to address a series of assessment questions that provide insights into where environmental risks are a priority. This paper provides an overview of twelve spatial integration methods that can be applied towards regional assessment, along with preliminary results as to how sensitive each method is to data issues that will likely be encountered with the use of existing data.

Pediatric HIV Clinical Care Resources and Management Practices in Asia: A Regional Survey of the TREAT Asia Pediatric Network

PubMed Central

Bowen, Asha C.; Pang, Joselyn; Hesp, Cees; Kariminia, Azar; Sohn, Annette H.

2010-01-01

Abstract Characterizing intraregional differences in current pediatric HIV care and treatment in Asia can guide the development of clinical practice guidelines and improve the understanding of local resource availability. The Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia (TREAT Asia) Pediatric Program is a collaboration of clinics and referral hospitals studying pediatric HIV outcomes in the region. A Web-based survey to characterize clinical management practices and monitoring resources was developed and distributed to 20 sites in January 2008. Seventeen (85%) sites from 6 countries responded through April 2008; 14 (82%) were hospital-based and 16 (94%) were public facilities. Of 4050 HIV-infected children under care, 3606 (89%) were on antiretroviral treatment; 80% were on their first mono-, dual-, or triple-drug regimen and 74% were on nevirapine- or efavirenz-based regimens. Fifteen (88%) sites had consistent access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for infant diagnosis. All sites had access to CD4 testing, with 13 (76%) routinely monitoring patients every 3–6 months; 7 (41%) sites monitored viral load at 6- to 12-month intervals. Although there is some variation in clinical practices, high levels of treatment and monitoring resources were available at these sites. The availability of PCR for early infant diagnosis positions them to implement recent WHO recommendations to treat HIV-infected children younger than 1 year of age. This information will be used to develop future research and programs to support children with HIV in Asia. PMID:20059355

On determining the significance of ephemeral continental wetlands to North American migratory shorebirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skagen, Susan K.; Granfors, Diane A.; Melcher, Cynthia P.

2008-01-01

Conservation challenges enhance the need for quantitative information on dispersed bird populations in extensive landscapes, for techniques to monitor populations and assess environmental effects, and for conservation strategies at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. By estimating population sizes of shorebirds in the U.S. portion of the prairie pothole landscape in central North America, where most migrating shorebirds exhibit a highly dispersed spatial pattern, we determined that the region may play a vital role in the conservation of shorebirds. During northward and southward migration, 7.3 million shorebirds (95% CI: 4.3–10.3 million) and 3.9 million shorebirds (95% CI: 1.7–6.0 million) stopped to rest and refuel in the study area; inclusion of locally breeding species increases the estimates by 0.1 million and 0.07 million shorebirds, respectively. Seven species of calidridine sandpipers, including Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), White-rumped Sandpipers (C. fuscicollis), and Stilt Sandpipers (C. himantopus), constituted 50% of northbound migrants in our study area. We present an approach to population estimation and monitoring, based on stratified random selection of townships as sample units, that is well suited to 11 migratory shorebird species. For extensive and dynamic wetland systems, we strongly caution against a monitoring program based solely on repeated counts of known stopover sites with historically high numbers of shorebirds. We recommend refinements in methodology to address sample-size requirements and potential sources of bias so that our approach may form the basis of a rigorous migration monitoring program in this and other prairie wetland regions.

An overview of the Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program's (CHaMP) spatial-temporal design framework

EPA Science Inventory

We briefly review the concept of a master sample applied to stream networks in which a randomized set of stream sites is selected across a broad region to serve as a list of sites from which a subset of sites is selected to achieve multiple objectives of specific designs. The Col...

Understanding spatial variability in perennial grass restoration following shrub removal in the Chihuahuan Desert: The restore New Mexico collaborative monitoring program

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grassland to shrubland transitions are well documented throughout the desert grassland region of the Chihuahuan Desert. These transitions were triggered in the early 20th century by overgrazing of perennial grasses during drought periods, loss of fire regimes, and seed dispersal by livestock. Shrubl...

Heroin Use among Southern Arrestees: Regional Findings from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Ronald J., Jr.; Yacoubian, George S., Jr.; Baumler, Elizabeth R.; Ross, Michael W.; Johnson, Regina J.

2002-01-01

To be effective with rehabilitation counseling, counselors need to be aware of cultural patterns of drug use. This study analyzed trends in heroin use between 1990 and 1997 among the arrestee population in some parts of the South. Findings suggest geographic, ethnic, and age-related variables for heroin use. (JDM)

Monitoring the sustainability of the Southern forest

Treesearch

Gregory A. Reams; Neil Clark; James Chamberlain

2004-01-01

The ecological and economic sustainability of southern forests is being questioned because there are many competing uses for these forests and because there are large regional shifts in forest land use. To adequately understand the state of our forests and their use with respect to sustainability, several significant changes have been made in programs of the U.S....

An optimization approach to selecting research natural areas in National Forests

Treesearch

Stephanie A. Snyder; Lucy E. Tyrrell; Robert G. Haight

1999-01-01

The USDA Forest Service has a long-established program to identify areas in national forests for designation as protected Research Natural Areas (RNAs). One of the goals is to protect high quality examples of regional ecosystems for the purposes of maintaining biological diversity, conducting nonmanipulative research and monitoring, and fostering education. When RNA...

Research Natural Areas of the Northern Region: Status and Needs Assessment

Treesearch

Steve W. Chadde; Shannon F. Kimball; Angela G. Evenden

1996-01-01

A major objective of the Forest Service Research Natural Area (RNA) program is to maintain a representative array of all significant natural ecosystems as baseline areas for research and monitoring (Forest Service Manual 4063, USDA Forest Service 1991). The National Forest Management Act of 1976 directs the agency to establish research natural areas typifying important...

[Safe drinking water supply to the Vologda Region's population using risk assessment methodology].

PubMed

Kuznetsova, I A; Figurina, T Ia; Shadrina, S Iu

2011-01-01

To supply the population with qualitative potable water is a priority problem in the provision of sanitary-and-epidemiologic well-being and in the prevention of disease in the Vologda Region. The monitoring of the results of laboratory control over the quality of drinking-water and the assessment of health risk enabled a package of measures to be proposed to optimize the conditions of drinking water supply in the Vologda Region. The risk assessment technology used by a state agency for sanitary-and-epidemiological surveillance makes it possible to substantiate a system of actions to organize household water use and to include scientifically grounded proposals into the developed regional and local programs.

Monitoring Seasons Through Global Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparrow, E. B.; Robin, J. H.; Jeffries, M. O.; Gordon, L. S.; Verbyla, D. L.; Levine, E. R.

2006-12-01

Monitoring Seasons through Global Learning Communities (MSTGLC) is an inquiry- and project-based project that monitors seasons, specifically their interannual variability, in order to increase K-12 students' understanding of the Earth system by providing teacher professional development in Earth system science and inquiry, and engaging K-12 students in Earth system science research relevant to their local communities that connect globally. MSTGLC connects GLOBE students, teachers, and communities, with educators and scientists from three integrated Earth systems science programs: the International Arctic Research Center, and NASA Landsat Data Continuity and Terra Satellite Missions. The project organizes GLOBE schools by biomes into eight Global Learning Communities (GLCs) and students monitor their seasons through regional based field campaigns. The project expands the current GLOBE phenology network by adapting current protocols and making them biome-specific. In addition, ice and mosquito phenology protocols will be developed for Arctic and Tropical regions, respectively. Initially the project will focus on Tundra and Taiga biomes as phenological changes are so pronounced in these regions. However, our long-term goal is to determine similar changes in other biomes (Deciduous Forest, Desert, Grasslands, Rain Forest, Savannah and Shrubland) based upon what we learn from these two biomes. This project will also contribute to critically needed Earth system science data such as in situ ice, mosquito, and vegetation phenology measurements for ground validations of remotely sensed data, which are essential for regional climate change impact assessments. Additionally it will contribute environmental data critical to prevention and management of diseases such as malaria in Asian, African, and other countries. Furthermore, this project will enable students to participate in the International Polar Year (IPY) (2007-2009) through field campaigns conducted by students in polar regions, and web chats between IPY scientists and GLOBE students from all eight GLCs that include non-polar countries.

A WebGIS platform for the monitoring of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (GENMON)

PubMed Central

Flury, Christine; Matasci, Giona; Joerin, Florent; Widmer, Ivo; Joost, Stéphane

2017-01-01

Background In 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated the Global plan of action for Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR). The main goal of this plan is to reduce further loss of genetic diversity in farm animals, so as to protect and promote the diversity of farm animal resources. An important step to reach this goal is to monitor and prioritize endangered breeds in the context of conservation programs. Methodology/Web portal implementation The GENMON WebGIS platform is able to monitor FAnGR and to evaluate the degree of endangerment of livestock breeds. The system takes into account pedigree and introgression information, the geographical concentration of animals, the cryo-conservation plan and the sustainability of breeding activities based on socio-economic data as well as present and future land use conditions. A multi-criteria decision tool supports the aggregation of the multi-thematic indices mentioned above using the MACBETH method, which is based on a weighted average using satisfaction thresholds. GENMON is a monitoring tool to reach subjective decisions made by a government agency. It relies on open source software and is available at http://lasigsrv2.epfl.ch/genmon-ch. Results/Significance GENMON allows users to upload pedigree-information (animal ID, parents, birthdate, sex, location and introgression) from a specific livestock breed and to define species and/or region-specific weighting parameters and thresholds. The program then completes a pedigree analysis and derives several indices that are used to calculate an integrated score of conservation prioritization for the breeds under investigation. The score can be visualized on a geographic map and allows a fast, intuitive and regional identification of breeds in danger. Appropriate conservation actions and breeding programs can thus be undertaken in order to promote the recovery of the genetic diversity in livestock breeds in need. The use of the platform is illustrated by means of an example based on three local livestock breeds from different species in Switzerland. PMID:28453561

A WebGIS platform for the monitoring of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (GENMON).

PubMed

Duruz, Solange; Flury, Christine; Matasci, Giona; Joerin, Florent; Widmer, Ivo; Joost, Stéphane

2017-01-01

In 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated the Global plan of action for Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR). The main goal of this plan is to reduce further loss of genetic diversity in farm animals, so as to protect and promote the diversity of farm animal resources. An important step to reach this goal is to monitor and prioritize endangered breeds in the context of conservation programs. The GENMON WebGIS platform is able to monitor FAnGR and to evaluate the degree of endangerment of livestock breeds. The system takes into account pedigree and introgression information, the geographical concentration of animals, the cryo-conservation plan and the sustainability of breeding activities based on socio-economic data as well as present and future land use conditions. A multi-criteria decision tool supports the aggregation of the multi-thematic indices mentioned above using the MACBETH method, which is based on a weighted average using satisfaction thresholds. GENMON is a monitoring tool to reach subjective decisions made by a government agency. It relies on open source software and is available at http://lasigsrv2.epfl.ch/genmon-ch. GENMON allows users to upload pedigree-information (animal ID, parents, birthdate, sex, location and introgression) from a specific livestock breed and to define species and/or region-specific weighting parameters and thresholds. The program then completes a pedigree analysis and derives several indices that are used to calculate an integrated score of conservation prioritization for the breeds under investigation. The score can be visualized on a geographic map and allows a fast, intuitive and regional identification of breeds in danger. Appropriate conservation actions and breeding programs can thus be undertaken in order to promote the recovery of the genetic diversity in livestock breeds in need. The use of the platform is illustrated by means of an example based on three local livestock breeds from different species in Switzerland.

Seismic Monitoring with NetQuakes: The First 75 in the Pacific Northwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodin, P.; Vidale, J. E.; Luetgert, J. H.; Malone, S. D.; Delorey, A. A.; Steele, W. P.; Gibbons, D. A.; Walsh, L. K.

2011-12-01

NetQuakes accelerographs are relatively inexpensive Internet-aware appliances that we are using as part of our regional seismic monitoring program in the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN). To date we have deployed approximately 65 units. By the end of 2011, we will have at least 75 systems sited and operating. The instruments are made by Swiss manufacturer GeoSig, Ltd., and have been obtained by PNSN through several cooperative programs with the US Geological Survey (USGS). The NetQuakes systems have increased the number of strong-motion stations in the Pacific Northwest by ~50%. NetQuakes instruments connect to the Internet via wired or wireless telemetry, obtain accurate timing vie Network Time Protocol, and are designed to be located in the ground floor of houses or small buildings. At PNSN we have concentrated on finding NetQuakes hosts by having technologically savvy homeowners self-identify as a response to news reports about the NetQuakes project. Potential hosts are prioritized by their proximity to target sites provided by a regional panel of experts who studied the region's strong-ground-motion monitoring needs. Recorded waveforms, triggered by strong motion or retrieved from a buffer of continuous data, are transmitted to Menlo Park, and then on to PNSN in Seattle. Data are available with latency of a few minutes to a little over an hour, and are automatically incorporated with the rest of PNSN network data for analysis and the generation of earthquake products. Triggered data may also be viewed by the public via the USGS website, [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/netquakes/map/pacnw]. We present examples of ground motion recordings returned to date. Local earthquakes up to M4 (at a distance of ~60 km) reveal interesting patterns of local site effects. The 11 March M9 Tohoku, Japan earthquake produced ground motions recorded on the PNSN accelerographs, including many NetQuakes systems, that reveal the extent and severity of basin-related shaking amplification.

Nuclear Explosion Monitoring History and Research and Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, W. L.; Zucca, J. J.

2008-12-01

Within a year after the nuclear detonations over Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Baruch Plan was presented to the newly formed United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (June 14, 1946) to establish nuclear disarmament and international control over all nuclear activities. These controls would allow only the peaceful use of atomic energy. The plan was rejected through a Security Council veto primarily because of the resistance to unlimited inspections. Since that time there have been many multilateral, and bilateral agreements, and unilateral declarations to limit or eliminate nuclear detonations. Almost all of theses agreements (i.e. treaties) call for some type of monitoring. We will review a timeline showing the history of nuclear testing and the more important treaties. We will also describe testing operations, containment, phenomenology, and observations. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which has been signed by 179 countries (ratified by 144) established the International Monitoring System global verification regime which employs seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and radionuclide monitoring techniques. The CTBT also includes on-site inspection to clarify whether a nuclear explosion has been carried out in violation of the Treaty. The US Department of Energy (DOE) through its National Nuclear Security Agency's Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring R&D Program supports research by US National Laboratories, and universities and industry internationally to detect, locate, and identify nuclear detonations. This research program builds on the broad base of monitoring expertise developed over several decades. Annually the DOE and the US Department of Defense jointly solicit monitoring research proposals. Areas of research include: seismic regional characterization and wave propagation, seismic event detection and location, seismic identification and source characterization, hydroacoustic monitoring, radionuclide monitoring, infrasound monitoring, and data processing and analysis. Reports from the selected research projects are published in the proceedings of the annual Monitoring Research Review conference.

A formalized approach to making effective natural resource management decisions for Alaska National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacCluskie, Margaret C.; Romito, Angela; Peterson, James T.; Lawler, James P.

2015-01-01

A fundamental goal of the National Park Service (NPS) is the long-term protection and management of resources in the National Park System. Reaching this goal requires multiple approaches, including the conservation of essential habitats and the identification and elimination of potential threats to biota and habitats. To accomplish these goals, the NPS has implemented the Alaska Region Vital Signs Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program to monitor key biological, chemical, and physical components of ecosystems at more than 270 national parks. The Alaska Region has four networks—Arctic, Central, Southeast, and Southwest. By monitoring vital signs over large spatial and temporal scales, park managers are provided with information on the status and trajectory of park resources as well as a greater understanding and insight into the ecosystem dynamics. While detecting and quantifying change is important to conservation efforts, to be useful for formulating remedial actions, monitoring data must explicitly relate to management objectives and be collected in such a manner as to resolve key uncertainties about the dynamics of the system (Nichols and Williams 2006). Formal decision making frameworks (versus more traditional processes described below) allow for the explicit integration of monitoring data into decision making processes to improve the understanding of system dynamics, thereby improving future decisions (Williams 2011).

Does public reporting improve the quality of hospital care for acute myocardial infarction? Results from a regional outcome evaluation program in Italy.

PubMed

Renzi, Cristina; Asta, Federica; Fusco, Danilo; Agabiti, Nera; Davoli, Marina; Perucci, Carlo Alberto

2014-06-01

To evaluate whether public reporting of performance data was associated with a change over time in quality indicators for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Italian hospitals. Pre-post evaluation of AMI indicators in the Lazio region, before and after disclosure of the Regional Outcome Evaluation Program, and a comparative evaluation versus other Italian regions not participating in the program. Nationwide Hospital Information System and vital status records. 24 800 patients treated for AMI in Lazio and 39 350 in the other regions. Public reporting of the Regional Outcome Evaluation Program in the Lazio region. Risk-adjusted indicators for AMI. The proportion of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) within 48 h in Lazio changed from 31.3 to 48.7%, before and after public reporting, respectively (relative increase 56%; P < 0.001). In the other regions, the proportion increased from 51.5 to 58.4% (relative increase 13%; P < 0.001). Overall 30-day mortality and 30-day mortality for patients treated with PCI did not improve during the study period. The 30-day mortality for STEMI patients not treated with PCI in Lazio was significantly higher in 2009 (29.0%) versus 2006/07 (24.0%) (P = .002). Public reporting may have contributed to increasing the proportion of STEMI patients treated with timely PCI. The mortality outcomes should be interpreted with caution. Changes in AMI diagnostic and coding systems should also be considered. Risk-adjusted quality indicators represent a fundamental instrument for monitoring and potentially enhancing quality of care. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Metropolitan Boston air quality control region: transportation control plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1975-02-28

The EPA is considering a number of amendments to the transportation control plan which it promulgated Nov. 8, 1973 for the Metropolitan Boston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. Included in the proposed amendments is a revised regulation for reduction of commuter travel which would include students and employees. This program would be implemented in conjunction with the carpool matching program being developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the employee pass program offered by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. A new provision for limiting overall hydrocarbon emissions from major users of organic compounds is included. Also published are a proposalmore » for encouraging bicycle use, new proposals for controlling carbon monoxide levels outside the Boston core area, and a new procedure for periodic monitoring and updating of the plan. Other features of the original plan are retained with modifications in areas including the ceiling on the level of commercial parking spaces in the so-called ''freeze'' area, limitations of on-street commuter parking, a semiannual inspection and maintenance program, a retrofit program, and incentives for carpool and transit use.« less

SLICEIT and TAHMO Partnerships: Students Local and International Collaboration for Climate and Environmental Monitoring, Technology Development, Education, Adaptation and Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aishlin, P. S.; Selker, J. S.

2015-12-01

Climate change understanding and impacts vary by community, yet the global nature of climate change requires international collaboration to address education, monitoring, adaptation and mitigation needs. We propose that effective climate change monitoring and education can be accomplished via student-led local and international community partnerships. By empowering students as community leaders in climate-environmental monitoring and education, as well as exploration of adaptation/mitigation needs, well-informed communities and young leadership are developed to support climate change science moving forward. Piloted 2013-2015, the SLICEIT1 program partnered with TAHMO2 to connect student leaders in North America, Europe and Africa. At the international level, schools in the U.S.A and Netherlands were partnered with schools in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda for science and cultural exchange. Each school was equipped with a climate or other environmental sensing system, real-time data publication and curricula for both formal and informal science, technology, engineering and math education and skill development. African counterparts in TAHMO's School-2-School program collect critically important data for enhanced on-the-ground monitoring of weather conditions in data-scarce regions of Africa. In Idaho, student designed, constructed and installed weather stations provide real time data for classroom and community use. Student-designed formal educational activities are disseminated to project partners, increasing hands-on technology education and peer-based learning. At the local level, schools are partnered with a local agency, research institute, nonprofit organization, industry and/or community partner that supplies a climate science expert mentor to SLICEIT program leaders and teachers. Mentor engagement is facilitated and secured by program components that directly benefit the mentor's organization and local community via climate/environment monitoring, student workforce skill development, community education, and/or adaptation/mitigation activities. Students are motivated by advanced real-world skill development, leadership opportunity, internship, community service and opportunity for international peer communication.

Vaccine storage and cold chain monitoring in the North West region of Cameroon: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Yakum, Martin Ndinakie; Ateudjieu, Jerome; Walter, Ebile Akoh; Watcho, Pierre

2015-04-14

The cold chain must be monitored continuously in order to guarantee vaccines' quality. From field reports and previous studies, cold chain monitoring for expanded program on immunization (EPI) is still not satisfactory in Cameroon. This study was conducted to evaluate the availability and functioning of cold chain equipment as well as knowledge. It was a cross-sectional study involving a multistage sampling. 3urban and 5rural districts were selected randomly from the 19 health districts of the North West region. In each district all the health facilities taking part in the EPI were targeted. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered face to face to health personnel and with an observational grid to assess availability, functioning, and monitoring of cold chain equipment and power supply. The data were analyzed using the epi-info software. A total of 70 health facilities were contacted and 65(88.6%) of them included in the study. Fifty-three (81.5%) out of 65 health facilities had at least one functional vaccine refrigerator. The national guideline of EPI was not present in 21(33.9%) health facilities. Temperature chart was complete/correctly filled in 25(50.0%) of the 50(96.2%) facilities having it. About 14 (26.9%) of the health facilities record at least one abnormal temperature during the last 2 months following data collection. Seventeen (28.3%) personnel did not know the correct vaccine storage temperature. The availability of vaccine storage equipment for EPI is acceptable in the North West Region of Cameroon but the capacity of those in charge to properly monitor it in all health facilities is still limited. To ensure that vaccines administered in the North West Region are stored at the recommended temperature, all District Health Services should train and regularly supervise the health personnel in charge of cold chain monitoring.

Recruitment Strategies and Lessons Learned from the Children's Healthy Living Program Prevalence Survey

PubMed Central

Fialkowski, Marie K.; Yamanaka, Ashley; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Braun, Kathryn L.; Butel, Jean; Ettienne, Reynolette; McGlone, Katalina; Remengesau, Shelley; Power, Julianne M.; Johnson, Emihner; Gilmatam, Daisy; Fleming, Travis; Acosta, Mark; Belyeu-Camacho, Tayna; Shomour, Moria; Sigrah, Cecilia; Nigg, Claudio; Novotny, Rachel

2016-01-01

The US Affiliated Pacific region's childhood obesity prevalence has reached epidemic proportions. To guide program and policy development, a multi-site study was initiated, in collaboration with partners from across the region, to gather comprehensive information on the regional childhood obesity prevalence. The environmental and cultural diversity of the region presented challenges to recruiting for and implementing a shared community-based, public health research program. This paper presents the strategies used to recruit families with young children (n = 5775 for children 2 – 8 years old) for obesity-related measurement across eleven jurisdictions in the US Affiliated Pacific Region. Data were generated by site teams that provided summaries of their recruitment strategies and lessons learned. Conducting this large multi-site prevalence study required considerable coordination, time and flexibility. In every location, local staff knowledgeable of the community was hired to lead recruitment, and participant compensation reflected jurisdictional appropriateness (e.g., gift cards, vouchers, or cash). Although recruitment approaches were site-specific, they were predominantly school-based or a combination of school- and community-based. Lessons learned included the importance of organization buy-in; communication, and advance planning; local travel and site peculiarities; and flexibility. Future monitoring of childhood obesity prevalence in the region should consider ways to integrate measurement activities into existing organizational infrastructures for sustainability and cost-effectiveness, while meeting programmatic (e.g. study) goals. PMID:29546153

Recruitment Strategies and Lessons Learned from the Children's Healthy Living Program Prevalence Survey.

PubMed

Fialkowski, Marie K; Yamanaka, Ashley; Wilkens, Lynne R; Braun, Kathryn L; Butel, Jean; Ettienne, Reynolette; McGlone, Katalina; Remengesau, Shelley; Power, Julianne M; Johnson, Emihner; Gilmatam, Daisy; Fleming, Travis; Acosta, Mark; Belyeu-Camacho, Tayna; Shomour, Moria; Sigrah, Cecilia; Nigg, Claudio; Novotny, Rachel

2016-01-01

The US Affiliated Pacific region's childhood obesity prevalence has reached epidemic proportions. To guide program and policy development, a multi-site study was initiated, in collaboration with partners from across the region, to gather comprehensive information on the regional childhood obesity prevalence. The environmental and cultural diversity of the region presented challenges to recruiting for and implementing a shared community-based, public health research program. This paper presents the strategies used to recruit families with young children (n = 5775 for children 2 - 8 years old) for obesity-related measurement across eleven jurisdictions in the US Affiliated Pacific Region. Data were generated by site teams that provided summaries of their recruitment strategies and lessons learned. Conducting this large multi-site prevalence study required considerable coordination, time and flexibility. In every location, local staff knowledgeable of the community was hired to lead recruitment, and participant compensation reflected jurisdictional appropriateness (e.g., gift cards, vouchers, or cash). Although recruitment approaches were site-specific, they were predominantly school-based or a combination of school- and community-based. Lessons learned included the importance of organization buy-in; communication, and advance planning; local travel and site peculiarities; and flexibility. Future monitoring of childhood obesity prevalence in the region should consider ways to integrate measurement activities into existing organizational infrastructures for sustainability and cost-effectiveness, while meeting programmatic (e.g. study) goals.

Fostering community-based wildlife health monitoring and research in the Canadian North.

PubMed

Brook, Ryan K; Kutz, Susan J; Veitch, Alasdair M; Popko, Richard A; Elkin, Brett T; Guthrie, Glen

2009-06-01

Many northern Canadians have continued a subsistence lifestyle of wildlife harvesting and, therefore, value sustainable wildlife populations. At a regional wildlife workshop in the Sahtu Settlement Area, Northwest Territories in 2002, elders and community leaders raised concerns regarding wildlife health, food safety, and the effects of climate change on wildlife. They requested that efforts be put toward training youth in science and increasing involvement of hunters and youth in wildlife research. In response, we initiated a long-term, integrated approach to foster community-based wildlife health monitoring and research. Annual trips were made to all schools in the Sahtu from 2003 to 2009 to provide hands-on learning for 250-460 students on a range of wildlife topics. In addition, interviews were conducted with 31 hunters and elders to document their local ecological knowledge of wildlife health and local hunters were trained as monitors to collect tissue samples and measurements to assess body condition and monitor health of harvested caribou (n = 69) and moose (n = 19). In 2007 the program was extended to include participation in the annual caribou hunt held by one community. Each year since 2005, a graduate student and/or a postdoctoral trainee in the veterinary or biological sciences has participated in the program. The program has evolved during the last 6 years in response to community and school input, results of empirical research, hunter feedback, local knowledge, and logistical constraints. The continuity of the program is attributed to the energetic collaboration among diverse partners and a unified approach that responds to identified needs.

Characterization and comparison of phytoplankton in selected lakes of five Great Lakes area national parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, Meredith Becker; Whitman, Richard L.

2004-01-01

Phytoplankton species have been widely used as indicators of lake conditions, and they may be useful for detecting changes in overall lake condition. In an attempt to inventory and monitor its natural resources, the National Park Service wants to establish a monitoring program for aquatic resources in the Great Lakes Cluster National Parks. This study sought to establish baseline information on the phytoplankton and water chemistry of selected lakes in five national parks in a preliminary effort toward establishing a long-term monitoring program. Phytoplankton and water chemistry samples were collected from ten lakes in five national parks over a two-year period. A total of 176 taxa were identified during the study. Northern lakes generally had higher Shannon-Wiener diversity and clustered together in similarity. Lakes exhibited a south to north gradient of many water chemistry variables, with northern lakes having lower hardness, sulfate, turbidity, and temperature and higher dissolved oxygen. Chloride and sulfate concentrations were the variables that best explained variation among phytoplankton in the ten lakes. A monitoring plan will have to incorporate the differences among lakes, but by coordinating the effort, comparisons within and among parks and other regions will prove useful for determining environmental change.

A survey for the use of remote sensing in the Chesapeake Bay region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulanowicz, R. E.

1974-01-01

Environmental problem areas concerning the Chesapeake Bay region are reviewed along with ongoing remote sensing programs pertaining to these problems, and recommendations are presented to help fill lacunae in present research and to utilize the remote sensing capabilities of NASA to their fullest. A list of interested organizations and individuals is presented for each category. The development of technologies to monitor dissolved nutrients in bay waters, the initiation of a census of the disappearing rooted acquatic plants in the littoral zones, and the mapping of natural building constraints in the growth regions of the states of Maryland and Virginia are among the recommendations presented.

Seasonal to interannual morphodynamics along a high-energy dissipative littoral cell

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruggiero, P.; Kaminsky, G.M.; Gelfenbaum, G.; Voigt, B.

2005-01-01

A beach morphology monitoring program was initiated during summer 1997 along the Columbia River littoral cell (CRLC) on the coasts of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, USA. This field program documents the seasonal through interannual morphological variability of these high-energy dissipative beaches over a variety of spatial scales. Following the installation of a dense network of geodetic control monuments, a nested sampling scheme consisting of cross-shore topographic beach profiles, three-dimensional topographic beach surface maps, nearshore bathymetric surveys, and sediment size distribution analyses was initiated. Beach monitoring is being conducted with state-of-the-art real-time kinematic differential global positioning system survey methods that combine both high accuracy and speed of measurement. Sampling methods resolve variability in beach morphology at alongshore length scales of approximately 10 meters to approximately 100 kilometers and cross-shore length scales of approximately 1 meter to approximately 2 kilometers. During the winter of 1997/1998, coastal change in the US Pacific Northwest was greatly influenced by one of the strongest El Nin??o events on record. Steeper than typical southerly wave angles resulted in alongshore sediment transport gradients and shoreline reorientation on a regional scale. The La Nin??a of 1998/1999, dominated by cross-shore processes associated with the largest recorded wave year in the region, resulted in net beach erosion along much of the littoral cell. The monitoring program successfully documented the morphological response to these interannual forcing anomalies as well as the subsequent beach recovery associated with three consecutive moderate wave years. These morphological observations within the CRLC can be generalized to explain overall system patterns; however, distinct differences in large-scale coastal behavior (e.g., foredune ridge morphology, sandbar morphometrics, and nearshore beach slopes) are not readily explained or understood.

Evaluation of the US Army Institute of Public Health Destination Monitoring Program, a food safety surveillance program.

PubMed

Rapp-Santos, Kamala; Havas, Karyn; Vest, Kelly

2015-01-01

The Destination Monitoring Program, operated by the US Army Public Health Command (APHC), is one component that supports the APHC Veterinary Service's mission to ensure safety and quality of food procured for the Department of Defense (DoD). This program relies on retail product testing to ensure compliance of production facilities and distributors that supply food to the DoD. This program was assessed to determine the validity and timeliness by specifically evaluating whether sample size of items collected was adequate, if food samples collected were representative of risk, and whether the program returns results in a timely manner. Data was collected from the US Army Veterinary Services Lotus Notes database, including all food samples collected and submitted from APHC Region-North for the purposes of destination monitoring from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. For most food items, only one sample was submitted for testing. The ability to correctly identify a contaminated food lot may be limited by reliance on test results from only one sample, as the level of confidence in a negative test result is low. The food groups most frequently sampled by APHC correlated with the commodities that were implicated in foodborne illness in the United States. Food items to be submitted were equally distributed among districts and branches, but sections within large branches submitted relatively few food samples compared to sections within smaller branches and districts. Finally, laboratory results were not available for about half the food items prior to their respective expiration dates.

Psychosocial Correlates of Clinicians' Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Utilization.

PubMed

Pugliese, John A; Wintemute, Garen J; Henry, Stephen G

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study is to extend prior research on barriers to use of a prescription drug monitoring program by examining psychosocial correlates of intended use among physicians and pharmacists. Overall, 1,904 California physicians and pharmacists responded to a statewide survey (24.1% response rate) from August 2016 to January 2017. Participants completed an online survey examining attitudes toward prescription drug misuse and abuse, prescribing practices, prescription drug monitoring program design and ease of use, professional obligations, and normative beliefs regarding prescription drug monitoring program use. Data were analyzed in 2017. Perceived prescription drug monitoring program usefulness and normative beliefs fully mediated the relationship between concern about prescription drug abuse and intentions to use the prescription drug monitoring program. Clinicians' sense of professional and moral obligation to use the prescription drug monitoring program was unrelated to intention to use the prescription drug monitoring program despite a positive relationship with concern about misuse and abuse. Compared with physicians, pharmacists reported greater concern about prescription drug misuse, greater professional and moral obligation to use prescription drug monitoring program, and greater rating of prescription drug monitoring program usefulness. Interventions that target normative beliefs surrounding prescription drug monitoring program use and how to use prescription drug monitoring programs effectively are likely to be more effective than those that target professional obligations or moralize to the medical community. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Can data from disparate long-term fish monitoring programs be used to increase our understanding of regional and continental trends in large river assemblages?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Counihan, Timothy D.; Waite, Ian R.; Casper, Andrew F.; Ward, David L.; Sauer, Jennifer S.; Irwin, Elise R.; Chapman, Colin G.; Ickes, Brian; Paukert, Craig P.; Kosovich, John J.; Bayer, Jennifer M.

2018-01-01

Understanding trends in the diverse resources provided by large rivers will help balance tradeoffs among stakeholders and inform strategies to mitigate the effects of landscape scale stressors such as climate change and invasive species. Absent a cohesive coordinated effort to assess trends in important large river resources, a logical starting point is to assess our ability to draw inferences from existing efforts. In this paper, we use a common analytical framework to analyze data from five disparate fish monitoring programs to better understand the nature of spatial and temporal trends in large river fish assemblages. We evaluated data from programs that monitor fishes in the Colorado, Columbia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tallapoosa rivers using non-metric dimensional scaling ordinations and associated tests to evaluate trends in fish assemblage structure and native fish biodiversity. Our results indicate that fish assemblages exhibited significant spatial and temporal trends in all five of the rivers. We also document native species diversity trends that were variable within and between rivers and generally more evident in rivers with higher species richness and programs of longer duration. We discuss shared and basin-specific landscape level stressors. Having a basic understanding of the nature and extent of trends in fish assemblages is a necessary first step towards understanding factors affecting biodiversity and fisheries in large rivers.

Can data from disparate long-term fish monitoring programs be used to increase our understanding of regional and continental trends in large river assemblages?

PubMed Central

Waite, Ian R.; Casper, Andrew F.; Ward, David L.; Sauer, Jennifer S.; Irwin, Elise R.; Chapman, Colin G.; Ickes, Brian S.; Paukert, Craig P.; Kosovich, John J.; Bayer, Jennifer M.

2018-01-01

Understanding trends in the diverse resources provided by large rivers will help balance tradeoffs among stakeholders and inform strategies to mitigate the effects of landscape scale stressors such as climate change and invasive species. Absent a cohesive coordinated effort to assess trends in important large river resources, a logical starting point is to assess our ability to draw inferences from existing efforts. In this paper, we use a common analytical framework to analyze data from five disparate fish monitoring programs to better understand the nature of spatial and temporal trends in large river fish assemblages. We evaluated data from programs that monitor fishes in the Colorado, Columbia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tallapoosa rivers using non-metric dimensional scaling ordinations and associated tests to evaluate trends in fish assemblage structure and native fish biodiversity. Our results indicate that fish assemblages exhibited significant spatial and temporal trends in all five of the rivers. We also document native species diversity trends that were variable within and between rivers and generally more evident in rivers with higher species richness and programs of longer duration. We discuss shared and basin-specific landscape level stressors. Having a basic understanding of the nature and extent of trends in fish assemblages is a necessary first step towards understanding factors affecting biodiversity and fisheries in large rivers. PMID:29364953

The LANL/LLNL/AFTAC Black Thunder Coal Mine regional mine monitoring experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pearson, D.C.; Stump, B.W.; Baker, D.F.

Cast blasting operations associated with near surface coal recovery provide relatively large explosive sources that generate regional seismograms of interest in monitoring a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This paper describes preliminary results of a series of experiments currently being conducted at the Black Thunder Coal Mine in northeast Wyoming as part of the DOE CTBT Research and Development Program. These experiments are intended to provide an integrated set of near-source and regional seismic data for the purposes of quantifying the coupling and source characterization of the explosions. The focus of this paper is on the types of data beingmore » recovered with some preliminary implications. The Black Thunder experiments are designed to assess three major questions: (1) how many mining explosions produce seismograms at regional distances that will have to be detected, located and ultimately identified by the National Data Center and what are the waveform characteristics of these particular mining explosions; (2) can discrimination techniques based on empirical studies be placed on a firm physical basis so that they can be applied to other regions where there is little monitoring experience; (3) can large scale chemical explosions (possibly mining explosions) be used to calibrate source and propagation path effects to regional stations, can source depth of burial and decoupling effects be studied in such a controlled environment? With these key questions in mind and given the cooperation of the Black Thunder Mine, a suite of experiments have been and are currently being conducted. This paper will describe the experiments and their relevance to CTBT issues.« less

ERTS program of the US Army Corps of Engineers. [water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarman, J. W.

1974-01-01

The Army Corps of Engineers research and development efforts associated with the ERTS Program are confined to applications of investigation, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of water resource projects. Problems investigated covered: (1) resource inventory; (2) environmental impact; (3) pollution monitoring; (4) water circulation; (5) sediment transport; (6) data collection systems; (7) engineering; and (8) model verification. These problem areas were investigated in relation to bays, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, coasts, and regions. ERTS-1 imagery has been extremely valuable in developing techniques and is now being used in everyday applications.

Soundwatch: Eighteen years of monitoring whale watch vessel activities in the Salish Sea

PubMed Central

Osborne, Richard W.; Koski, Kari

2017-01-01

The Soundwatch Boater Education Program is a vessel monitoring and public education outreach program. Soundwatch has been run by The Whale Museum (TWM) during the whale watch season (May through September) in the Haro Strait Region of the Central Salish Sea since 1993. Data collection has been in a consistent manner since 1998 and is presented here. The program compiles data on vessel types and vessel interactions with marine mammals with a focus on the Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW), Orcinas orca, which was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2005. The primary goal of the Soundwatch program is to reduce vessel disturbance to SRKWs and other marine wildlife through the education of boaters on regional, local and federal guidelines and regulations and the systematic monitoring of vessel activities around cetaceans. Since 1998, the number of active commercial whale watching vessels has increased over time; ranging from a low of 63 in 1999, to a high of 96 in 2015. In addition, the number of vessel incidents or violation of regulations and guidelines has also increased; ranging from a low of 398 in 1998 to a high of 2621 in 2012. Soundwatch collected data on 23 incident types, some remaining the same over the 18-year data set and some changing over time. The most common incidents over the 18 years were “Within 880 m of Lime Kiln” and “Crossing the path of whales”. The numbers of people kayaking near whales also significantly increased since 2004 with the incident “kayaks spread out” with a significantly increasing trend making it difficult for whales to avoid vessels. These results suggest a need for further outreach for effective education and enforcement of whale watching guidelines and regulations in the Central Salish Sea. PMID:29272275

Sources of particulate matter components in the Athabasca oil sands region: investigation through a comparison of trace element measurement methodologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips-Smith, Catherine; Jeong, Cheol-Heon; Healy, Robert M.; Dabek-Zlotorzynska, Ewa; Celo, Valbona; Brook, Jeffrey R.; Evans, Greg

2017-08-01

The province of Alberta, Canada, is home to three oil sands regions which, combined, contain the third largest deposit of oil in the world. Of these, the Athabasca oil sands region is the largest. As part of Environment and Climate Change Canada's program in support of the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring program, concentrations of trace elements in PM2. 5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm in diameter) were measured through two campaigns that involved different methodologies: a long-term filter campaign and a short-term intensive campaign. In the long-term campaign, 24 h filter samples were collected once every 6 days over a 2-year period (December 2010-November 2012) at three air monitoring stations in the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo. For the intensive campaign (August 2013), hourly measurements were made with an online instrument at one air monitoring station; daily filter samples were also collected. The hourly and 24 h filter data were analyzed individually using positive matrix factorization. Seven emission sources of PM2. 5 trace elements were thereby identified: two types of upgrader emissions, soil, haul road dust, biomass burning, and two sources of mixed origin. The upgrader emissions, soil, and haul road dust sources were identified through both the methodologies and both methodologies identified a mixed source, but these exhibited more differences than similarities. The second upgrader emissions and biomass burning sources were only resolved by the hourly and filter methodologies, respectively. The similarity of the receptor modeling results from the two methodologies provided reassurance as to the identity of the sources. Overall, much of the PM2. 5-related trace elements were found to be anthropogenic, or at least to be aerosolized through anthropogenic activities. These emissions may in part explain the previously reported higher levels of trace elements in snow, water, and biota samples collected near the oil sands operations.

The Vulcan Project: Recent advances and emissions estimation for the NACP mid-continent intensive campaign region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurney, K. R.; Zhou, Y.; Geethakumar, S.; Godbole, A.; Mendoza, D. L.; Vaidhyanathan, M.; Sahni, N.

2009-12-01

The Vulcan Project has quantified 2002 fossil fuel CO2 for the US at the sub-county/hourly scale and is a key component of attributing CO2 fluxes within the North American Carbon Program. Vulcan approached quantification of CO2 emissions by leveraging information already contained within regulatory and monitoring agencies including the US EPA’s Acid Rain Program, the EPA’s National Emissions Inventory for the assessment of nationally regulated air pollution, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Census and the Department of Transportation. By utilizing the inventory emissions of carbon monoxide combined with fuel/device-specific emission factors, we have calculated CO2 emissions for industrial point sources, power plants, mobile sources, residential and commercial sectors with information on fuel used and source classification information. In this presentation, I provide critical recent advances in the Vulcan Project with particular emphasis on our contribution to the NACP mid-continent intensive campaign. Version 1.2 of the Vulcan fossil fuel CO2 emissions inventory includes the 2008 US Census road atlas, overcoming many of the missing roads and links that were prevalent in previous road atlas releases. This offers better spatial allocation of the onroad emissions. Figure 1 shows the improved road layer density for the MCI study region. Furthermore the temporal dimension of onroad emissions have been improved through the use of hourly traffic monitoring data at roughly 6000 monitoring locations across the US. The residential and commercial sector emissions now have hourly time structure via a spatially explicit heating degree day calculation utilizing the North American Regional Reanalysis temperature output. Finally, we have generated a multiyear (1997-2008) data product for the MCI region through use of Energy Information Administration state-level fuel sales data. Figure 1. improved road density via utilization of the new 2008 US census road layer. Left: previous Vulcan release road density; Right: latest Vulcan release road density

A new methodology to identify surface water bodies at risk by using pesticide monitoring data: The glyphosate case study in Lombardy Region (Italy).

PubMed

Di Guardo, Andrea; Finizio, Antonio

2018-01-01

In the last decades, several monitoring programs were established as an effect of EU Directives addressing the quality of water resources (drinking water, groundwater and surface water). Plant Protection Products (PPPs) are an obvious target of monitoring activities, since they are directly released into the environment. One of the challenges in managing the risk of pesticides at the territorial scale is identifying the locations in water bodies needing implementation of risk mitigation measures. In this, the national pesticides monitoring plans could be very helpful. However, monitoring of pesticides is a challenging task because of the high number of registered pesticides, cost of analyses, and the periodicity of sampling related to pesticide application and use. Extensive high-quality data-sets are consequently often missing. More in general, the information that can be obtained from monitoring studies are frequently undervalued by risk managers. In this study, we propose a new methodology providing indications about the need to implement mitigation measures in stretches of surface water bodies on a territory by combining historical series of monitoring data and GIS. The methodology is articulated in two distinct phases: a) acquisition of monitoring data and setting-up of informative layers of georeferenced data (phase 1) and b) statistical and expert analysis for the identification of areas where implementation of limitation or mitigation measures are suggested (phase 2). Our methodology identifies potentially vulnerable water bodies, considering temporal contamination trends and relative risk levels at selected monitoring stations. A case study is presented considering glyphosate monitoring data in Lombardy Region (Northern of Italy) for the 2008-2014 period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic characterization of wells HTH-1, UE18r, UE6e, and HTH-3, Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyles, B.F.; McKay, W.A.; Chapman, J.B.

1991-06-01

Monitoring for the migration of contaminants in groundwater or for the proper design of nuclear test emplacement holes at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) requires proper placement and completion of monitoring wells. This is only possible if the hydrogeologic system is understood in a regional and local context, necessitating data from existing wells and boreholes. Though the NTS Groundwater Characterization Project will be drilling wells, their great expense limits the number of new wells. However, there are many existing boreholes and wells on the NTS which have not been completely evaluated hydrologically. Some of these are incorporated in the Longmore » Term Hydrologic Monitoring Program (LTHMP) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), others are related to the testing programs. In all cases, additional site investigation in necessary to properly interpret the hydrogeologic data from these wells. Monitoring wells on the NTS are poorly characterized with regard to aquifers penetrated, vertical hydraulic gradients, and vertical variations in water quality. One of the goals of the well validation program was to gain a thorough understanding of the parameters needed to interpret the source and fate potential hazardous and radioactive substances that may be detected in these wells in the future. One of the most critical parameters for monitoring is the knowledge of what aquifer or geologic unit is being sampled when a water sample is collected. Pumped water samples are weighted most heavily to the water quality of the most productive (highest transmissivity) aquifer penetrated by the well.« less

Transport of pollutants in plumes and PEPES: a study of transport of pollutants in power plant plumes, urban and industrial plumes, and persistent elevated pollution episodes. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaughan, W.M.

Because of the increased concern for the regional nature of secondary air pollutants (e.g., sulfates and oxidants) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored a major field program in the northeastern United States during the summer of 1980. Two EPA field programs were actually carried out simultaneously. One addressed persistent elevated pollution episodes, and the other continued the 1979 northeast regional oxidant study in developing part of the data base for the regional oxidant model. Field activities were based in Columbus, OH. Ten research aircraft and several mobile and stationary surface-monitoring platforms from three EPA contractors, seven Federal Agencies, andmore » four Universities participated in the intensive measurement program between 16 July and 15 August 1980. Pollutants measured included SO/sub 2/, NO, NOx, O/sub 3/, sulfate, nitrate, and aerosols. This report describes the contractors activities. Their aircraft logged over 350 flight hours in 100 missions ranging as far east as Laconia, NH, as far south as Montgomery, AL, as far west as Texarkana, AR, and as far north as Saginaw, MI. Descriptive analyses are summarized for urban plume missions and regional missions. The quality assurance program is described, showing the efforts made to develop a well coordinated data base. Sources for reports and data are provided.« less

The Florida Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring (SIMM) Program: Indications of the effects of regional climate variability on these vital ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarbro, L.; Carlson, P. R., Jr.

2016-12-01

The SIMM program was developed to protect and manage seagrass resources in Florida by providing a collaborative vehicle for seagrass mapping, monitoring, data sharing, and reporting. We summarize and interpret mapping data and field assessments of seagrass abundance and diversity and water quality gathered by regional scientists and managers who work in estuaries from the Panhandle to the northeast Florida coast. Since 2013, regional reports summarizing the status and trends of seagrass ecosystems have been available on the web. The format provides current information for a wide stakeholder community. Ongoing collaborative efforts of more than 30 seagrass researchers and managers provide timely information on environmental and ecosystem changes in these important systems. Since the first published seagrass assessments in 2009, we have observed large changes in seagrass abundance and diversity in several regions; most but not all changes were likely due to variations in water quality that determine the light available to benthic vegetation. In the Panhandle and the Big Bend, in 2012-2104, increases in the frequency and severity of storms and resulting runoff reduced water quality which in turn decreased the abundance and distribution of seagrasses. The storm pattern resulted from changes in the subtropical jet stream and persisted for 3 years. In south Florida, heat and drought elevated salinities to extreme levels in Florida Bay in 2015; the resulting stratification along with high temperatures caused die-off of thousands of hectares of seagrass in the north central Bay. Extremely wet conditions in southeast Florida in 2015-2016 strained the water management system, resulting in large releases of polluted freshwater to estuaries on the southwest and southeast coasts, reducing light availability and causing large blooms of noxious algae. While other regions have also experienced algal blooms that reduced available light (Indian River Lagoon), seagrasses have remained stable or improved in regions where climatic conditions have been stable and where concerted efforts continue to maintain excellent water quality (Springs Coast, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay). With continuing updates, the SIMM program and reports provide timely information and assessment of seagrasses at a statewide level.

Developing a monitoring program for bird populations in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, using citizen observers: Initial stages

Treesearch

Joseph L Ganey; Jose M. Iniguez; Jamie S. Sanderlin; William M. Block

2017-01-01

The Madrean Sky Island region is an ecologically important area harboring exceptional biodiversity, including a unique avifauna that supports a thriving ecotourism industry in southeastern Arizona. This area has been impacted by several large wildfires in recent decades. These wildfires have altered vegetation composition and structure in forests and woodlands, and the...

Comparison of methods for estimating bird abundance and trends from historical count data

Treesearch

Frank R. Thompson; Frank A. La Sorte

2008-01-01

The use of bird counts as indices has come under increasing scrutiny because assumptions concerning detection probabilities may not be met, but there also seems to be some resistance to use of model-based approaches to estimating abundance. We used data from the United States Forest Service, Southern Region bird monitoring program to compare several common approaches...

The Evaluation of a Regional Faith Community Network's Million Hearts Program.

PubMed

Cooper, Jennifer; Zimmerman, Wendy

2016-01-01

The goal of the Million Hearts initiative is to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Maryland was one state in the Association of State and Territorial Health Official's Million Hearts State Learning Collaborative. Washington County, Maryland formed a collaboration between the County Health Department, Meritus Health System, and the Meritus Health Parish Nurse Coordinator to address hypertension in the county. Within a regional network of 52 faith communities, the Parish Nurse Coordinator recruited 25 faith community nurses to participate in a three-month program. Nurses were trained on proper blood pressure measurement and 22 nurses identified 58 participants engaged in blood pressure self-monitoring and coaching for lifestyle changes. Additionally, nurses took 1,729 blood pressures and provided health education to individuals within their congregations. Fifty-one participants participated in blood pressure self-monitoring and lifestyle coaching with faith community nurses. There was improvement in six out of seven lifestyle areas. Eight-two percent of participants (N = 42) decreased their systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure over three months. Coaching provided by faith community nurses can create an environment of sustained support to promote improved lifestyle and blood pressure changes over time. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan African Universities: Recommendations and Monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barry, Boubakar; /Assoc. Afr. Univ.; Chukwuma, Victor

The Digital Divide prevents Africa from taking advantages of new information technologies. One of the most urgent priorities is to bring the Internet in African Universities, Research, and Learning Centers to the level of other regions of the world. eGY-Africa, and the Sharing Knowledge Foundation are two bottom-up initiatives by scientists to secure better cyber-infrastructure and Internet facilities in Africa. Recommendations by the present scientific communities are being formulated at national, regional and international levels. The Internet capabilities are well documented at country level overall, but this is not the case at the University level. The snapshot of the Internetmore » status in universities in 17 African countries, obtained by a questionnaire survey, is consistent with measures of Internet penetration in the corresponding country. The monitoring of Internet performance has been proposed to those African universities to provide an information base for arguing the need to improve the coverage for Africa. A pilot program is recommended that will start scientific collaboration with Europe in western Africa using ICT. The program will lay the foundations for the arrival of new technologies like Grids.« less

Extreme coastal erosion enhanced by anomalous extratropical storm wave direction.

PubMed

Harley, Mitchell D; Turner, Ian L; Kinsela, Michael A; Middleton, Jason H; Mumford, Peter J; Splinter, Kristen D; Phillips, Matthew S; Simmons, Joshua A; Hanslow, David J; Short, Andrew D

2017-07-20

Extratropical cyclones (ETCs) are the primary driver of large-scale episodic beach erosion along coastlines in temperate regions. However, key drivers of the magnitude and regional variability in rapid morphological changes caused by ETCs at the coast remain poorly understood. Here we analyze an unprecedented dataset of high-resolution regional-scale morphological response to an ETC that impacted southeast Australia, and evaluate the new observations within the context of an existing long-term coastal monitoring program. This ETC was characterized by moderate intensity (for this regional setting) deepwater wave heights, but an anomalous wave direction approximately 45 degrees more counter-clockwise than average. The magnitude of measured beach volume change was the largest in four decades at the long-term monitoring site and, at the regional scale, commensurate with that observed due to extreme North Atlantic hurricanes. Spatial variability in morphological response across the study region was predominantly controlled by alongshore gradients in storm wave energy flux and local coastline alignment relative to storm wave direction. We attribute the severity of coastal erosion observed due to this ETC primarily to its anomalous wave direction, and call for greater research on the impacts of changing storm wave directionality in addition to projected future changes in wave heights.

AUTOMATED RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING AT A RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE NAVAL SITE.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MOSKOWITZ,P.D.; POMERVILLE,J.; GAVRILOV,S.

2001-02-25

The Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) Program is a cooperative effort between the military establishments of the Kingdom of Norway, the Russian Federation, and the US. This paper discusses joint activities conducted over the past year among Norwegian, Russian, and US technical experts on a project to develop, demonstrate and implement automated radiological monitoring at Russian Navy facilities engaged in the dismantlement of nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile launching submarines. Radiological monitoring is needed at these facilities to help protect workers engaged in the dismantlement program and the public living within the footprint of routine and accidental radiation exposure areas. Bymore » providing remote stand-alone monitoring, the Russian Navy will achieve added protection due to the defense-in-depth strategy afforded by local (at the site), regional (Kola) and national-level (Moscow) oversight. The system being implemented at the Polyaminsky Russian Naval Shipyard was developed from a working model tested at the Russian Institute for Nuclear Safety, Moscow, Russia. It includes Russian manufactured terrestrial and underwater gamma detectors, smart controllers for graded sampling, radio-modems for offsite transmission of the data, and a data fusion/display system: The data fusion/display system is derived from the Norwegian Picasso AMEC Environmental Monitoring software package. This computer package allows monitoring personnel to review the real-time and historical status of monitoring at specific sites and objects and to establish new monitoring protocols as required, for example, in an off-normal accident situation. Plans are being developed to implement the use of this system at most RF Naval sites handling spent nuclear fuel.« less

AUTOMATED RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING AT A RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE NAVAL SITE.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MOSKOWITZ,P.D.; POMERVILLE,J.; GAVRILOV,S.

2001-02-25

The Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) Program is a cooperative effort between the military establishments of the Kingdom of Norway, the Russian Federation, and the US. This paper discusses joint activities conducted over the past year among Norwegian, Russian, and US technical experts on a project to develop, demonstrate and implement automated radiological monitoring at Russian Navy facilities engaged in the dismantlement of nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile launching submarines. Radiological monitoring is needed at these facilities to help protect workers engaged in the dismantlement program and the public living within the footprint of routine and accidental radiation exposure areas. Bymore » providing remote stand-alone monitoring, the Russian Navy will achieve added protection due to the defense-in-depth strategy afforded by local (at the site), regional (Kola) and national-level (Moscow) oversight. The system being implemented at the Polyaminsky Russian Naval Shipyard was developed from a working model tested at the Russian Institute for Nuclear Safety, Moscow, Russia. It includes Russian manufactured terrestrial and underwater gamma detectors, smart controllers for graded sampling, radio-modems for offsite transmission of the data, and a data fusion/display system: The data fusion/display system is derived from the Norwegian Picasso AMEC Environmental Monitoring software package. This computer package allows monitoring personnel to review the real-time and historical status of monitoring at specific sites and objects and to establish new monitoring protocols as required, for example, in an off-normal accident situation. Plans are being developed to implement the use of this system at most RF Naval sites handling spent nuclear fuel.« less

Management of women at high risk of hereditary breast cancer in the Veneto Regional Program for Prevention.

PubMed

Del Sole, Annamaria; Cinquetti, Sandro; Fedato, Chiara; Montagna, Marco; Russo, Francesca; Sbrogiò, Luca Gino; Zorzi, Manuel

2015-01-01

Today it is well-known that high risk of genetic breast cancer concerns a very limited part of the population: no more than 2-3 women are affected every thousand and this condition as a whole accounts for no more than 3%-5% of all breast cancers. Following the directions contained in the 2014-2018 National Prevention Plan, Veneto's 2014-2018 Regional Program of Prevention (PRP), approved by Regional Council Resolution (DGR) No. 749 of 14.5.2015, consolidation of a pathway of diagnosis, observation, and prophylaxis for women at high risk of hereditary breast carcinoma is thus proposed. The principal activities of this policy will be the following: creation of a regional working group, survey of currently existing pathways for the identification of women at risk of hereditary breast cancer and adoption of the same, approval and consolidation of a structured regional pathway for women at high risk of hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer, from paths of oncogenetic consultation and genetic testing to management of disease risk. Subsequent to the recognition of the pathway of diagnosis, observation, and prophylaxis for women at high risk of hereditary breast carcinoma, the Veneto region undertakes to develop a co-ordinated program of information and training on this pathway directed at the population and healthcare workers. It is firmly hoped that with the inclusion of a program for the management of women at high risk of hereditary breast cancer within the Veneto PRP this topic may become more defined and structured in terms of sustainability, integration with the existing regional networks (mammography network, Breast Unit), contrasting inequality, monitoring and evaluation, in this way pursuing the objectives of a reduction of cause-specific mortality and improvement of quality of life.

The role of the insula in intuitive expert bug detection in computer code: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Castelhano, Joao; Duarte, Isabel C; Ferreira, Carlos; Duraes, Joao; Madeira, Henrique; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

2018-05-09

Software programming is a complex and relatively recent human activity, involving the integration of mathematical, recursive thinking and language processing. The neural correlates of this recent human activity are still poorly understood. Error monitoring during this type of task, requiring the integration of language, logical symbol manipulation and other mathematical skills, is particularly challenging. We therefore aimed to investigate the neural correlates of decision-making during source code understanding and mental manipulation in professional participants with high expertise. The present fMRI study directly addressed error monitoring during source code comprehension, expert bug detection and decision-making. We used C code, which triggers the same sort of processing irrespective of the native language of the programmer. We discovered a distinct role for the insula in bug monitoring and detection and a novel connectivity pattern that goes beyond the expected activation pattern evoked by source code understanding in semantic language and mathematical processing regions. Importantly, insula activity levels were critically related to the quality of error detection, involving intuition, as signalled by reported initial bug suspicion, prior to final decision and bug detection. Activity in this salience network (SN) region evoked by bug suspicion was predictive of bug detection precision, suggesting that it encodes the quality of the behavioral evidence. Connectivity analysis provided evidence for top-down circuit "reutilization" stemming from anterior cingulate cortex (BA32), a core region in the SN that evolved for complex error monitoring such as required for this type of recent human activity. Cingulate (BA32) and anterolateral (BA10) frontal regions causally modulated decision processes in the insula, which in turn was related to activity of math processing regions in early parietal cortex. In other words, earlier brain regions used during evolution for other functions seem to be reutilized in a top-down manner for a new complex function, in an analogous manner as described for other cultural creations such as reading and literacy.

What is in my air? Feds facilitating citizen science in the EPA Next Generation Air Monitoring Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, R. A.; Preuss, P.

2013-12-01

Recent advances in the development of small-scale and inexpensive air pollutant sensors, coupled with the ubiquitous use of wireless and mobile technology, will transform the field of air quality monitoring. For the first time, the general public may purchase air monitors, which can measure their personal exposure to NOx, Ozone, black carbon, and VOCs for a few hundred dollars. Concerned citizens may now gather the data for themselves to answer questions such as, ';what am I breathing?' and ';is my air clean?' The research and policy community will have access to real-time air quality data collected at the local and regional scale, making targeted protection of environmental health possible. With these benefits come many questions from citizen scientists, policymakers, and researchers. These include, what is the quality of the data? How will the public interpret data from the air sensors and are there guidelines to interpret that data? How do you know if the air sensor is trustworthy? Recognizing that this revolution in air quality monitoring will proceed regardless of the involvement of the government, the Innovation Team at the EPA Office of Research and Development, in partnership with the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance and the Office of Air and Radiation, seized the opportunity to ensure that users of next generation air sensors can realize the full potential benefits of these innovative technologies. These efforts include releasing an EPA Draft Roadmap for Next Generation Air Monitoring, testing air sensors under laboratory and field conditions, field demonstrations of new air sensor technology for the public, and building a community of air sensor developers, researchers, local, state and federal officials, and community members through workshops and a website. This presentation will review the status of those programs, highlighting the particular programs of interest to citizen scientists. The Next Generation Air Monitoring program may serve as a model for similar efforts in the EPA and at other Federal Agencies, who would like to take an active role in facilitating the future of citizen science and environmental monitoring.

Conceptual ecological models to guide integrated landscape monitoring of the Great Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, D.M.; Finn, S.P.; Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia; Miller, M.E.; Bedford, D.R.; Brasher, A.M.

2010-01-01

The Great Basin Integrated Landscape Monitoring Pilot Project was developed in response to the need for a monitoring and predictive capability that addresses changes in broad landscapes and waterscapes. Human communities and needs are nested within landscapes formed by interactions among the hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Understanding the complex processes that shape landscapes and deriving ways to manage them sustainably while meeting human needs require sophisticated modeling and monitoring. This document summarizes current understanding of ecosystem structure and function for many of the ecosystems within the Great Basin using conceptual models. The conceptual ecosystem models identify key ecological components and processes, identify external drivers, develop a hierarchical set of models that address both site and landscape attributes, inform regional monitoring strategy, and identify critical gaps in our knowledge of ecosystem function. The report also illustrates an approach for temporal and spatial scaling from site-specific models to landscape models and for understanding cumulative effects. Eventually, conceptual models can provide a structure for designing monitoring programs, interpreting monitoring and other data, and assessing the accuracy of our understanding of ecosystem functions and processes.

An integrated sampling and analysis approach for improved biodiversity monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWan, Amielle A.; Zipkin, Elise

2010-01-01

Successful biodiversity conservation requires high quality monitoring data and analyses to ensure scientifically defensible policy, legislation, and management. Although monitoring is a critical component in assessing population status and trends, many governmental and non-governmental organizations struggle to develop and implement effective sampling protocols and statistical analyses because of the magnitude and diversity of species in conservation concern. In this article we describe a practical and sophisticated data collection and analysis framework for developing a comprehensive wildlife monitoring program that includes multi-species inventory techniques and community-level hierarchical modeling. Compared to monitoring many species individually, the multi-species approach allows for improved estimates of individual species occurrences, including rare species, and an increased understanding of the aggregated response of a community to landscape and habitat heterogeneity. We demonstrate the benefits and practicality of this approach to address challenges associated with monitoring in the context of US state agencies that are legislatively required to monitor and protect species in greatest conservation need. We believe this approach will be useful to regional, national, and international organizations interested in assessing the status of both common and rare species.

Adapting forest health assessments to changing perspectives on threats--a case example from Sweden.

PubMed

Wulff, Sören; Lindelöw, Åke; Lundin, Lars; Hansson, Per; Axelsson, Anna-Lena; Barklund, Pia; Wijk, Sture; Ståhl, Göran

2012-04-01

A revised Swedish forest health assessment system is presented. The assessment system is composed of several interacting components which target information needs for strategic and operational decision making and accommodate a continuously expanding knowledge base. The main motivation for separating information for strategic and operational decision making is that major damage outbreaks are often scattered throughout the landscape. Generally, large-scale inventories (such as national forest inventories) cannot provide adequate information for mitigation measures. In addition to broad monitoring programs that provide time-series information on known damaging agents and their effects, there is also a need for local and regional inventories adapted to specific damage events. While information for decision making is the major focus of the health assessment system, the system also contributes to expanding the knowledge base of forest conditions. For example, the integrated monitoring programs provide a better understanding of ecological processes linked to forest health. The new health assessment system should be able to respond to the need for quick and reliable information and thus will be an important part of the future monitoring of Swedish forests.

Electronic fetal monitoring: a Canadian survey.

PubMed Central

Davies, B L; Niday, P A; Nimrod, C A; Drake, E R; Sprague, A E; Trépanier, M J

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To determine the current status of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) in Canadian teaching and nonteaching hospitals, to review the medical and nursing standards of practice for EFM and to determine the availability of EFM educational programs. DESIGN: National survey in 1989. PARTICIPANTS: The directors of nursing at the 737 hospitals providing obstetric care were sent a questionnaire and asked to have it completed by the most appropriate staff member. The response rate was 80.5% (593/737); 44 hospitals did not have deliveries in 1988 and were excluded. The remaining hospitals varied in size from 8 to 1800 (mean 162.1) beds and had 1 to 7500 (mean 617.1) births in 1988; 18.8% were teaching hospitals. RESULTS: Of the 549 hospitals 419 (76.3%) reported having at least 1 monitor (range 1 to 30; mean 2.6); the mean number of monitors per hospital was higher in the teaching hospitals than in the nonteaching hospitals (6.2 v. 1.7). Manitoba had the lowest mean number of monitors per hospital (1.1) and Ontario the highest (3.7). In 71.8% of the hospitals with monitors almost all of the obstetric patients were monitored at some point during labour. However, 21.6% of the hospitals with monitors had no policy on EFM practice. The availability of EFM educational programs for physicians and nurses varied according to hospital size, type and region. CONCLUSIONS: Most Canadian hospitals providing obstetric services have electronic fetal monitors and use them frequently. Although substantial research has questioned the benefits of EFM, further definitive research is required. In the meantime, a national committee should be established to develop multidisciplinary guidelines for intrapartum fetal assessment. PMID:8485677

Third Pole Environment (TPE): a new frontier for interdisciplinary research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Yao, T.; Thompson, L. G.; Mosbrugger, V.; Zhang, F.; Ma, Y.; Yang, X.; Wang, W.; Joswiak, D.; Liu, X.; Devkota, L. P.; Tayal, S.; Luo, T.

2013-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain ranges, referred to by scientists as the Third Pole (TP), represent one of the largest ice masses of the Earth. The region is one of the most sensitive areas responding to global climate change due to its high altitude and the presence of permafrost and glaciers. The near 100,000 km2 of glaciers ensure the permanent flow of major rivers in this region and provide water to 1.4 billion people in Asia. Thus, environmental changes taking place on the TP significantly influences social and economic development of countries in this region such as China, India, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan. With an average elevation higher than 4,000 metres above sea level, the Third Pole is characterized by complex interactions of atmospheric, cryospheric, hydrological, geological and environmental processes that bear special significance for the Earth's biodiversity, climate and water cycles. For a comprehensive understanding of the environment of the TP and its implications on the development of the region, we need to integrate different disciplines under a them of 'water-ice-air-ecosystem -human' interactions and reveal environmental change processes and mechanisms on the TP and their influences on and regional responses to global changes, and thus to serve for enhancement of human adaptation to the changing environment. Like Antarctica and the Arctic, the Third Pole region is drawing increased attention of the international academic community. A series of observations and monitoring programs in the Third Pole region has been widely implemented. However, data necessary to precisely assess the environmental, societal and economic changes caused by alterations in the Third Pole dynamics are either lacking or insufficient. The Third Pole Environment (TPE) program is thus established as a comprehensive and coordinated international research, monitoring and capacity building initiative, with goals to address the influence of environmental changes on humanity and to provide mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Development of GUI Type On-Line Condition Monitoring Program for a Turboprop Engine Using Labview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Changduk; Kim, Keonwoo

2011-12-01

Recently, an aero gas turbine health monitoring system has been developed for precaution and maintenance action against faults or performance degradations of the advanced propulsion system which occurs in severe environments such as high altitude, foreign object damage particles, hot and heavy rain and snowy atmospheric conditions. However to establish this health monitoring system, the online condition monitoring program is firstly required, and the program must monitor the engine performance trend through comparison between measured engine performance data and base performance results calculated by base engine performance model. This work aims to develop a GUI type on-line condition monitoring program for the PT6A-67 turboprop engine of a high altitude and long endurance operation UAV using LabVIEW. The base engine performance of the on-line condition monitoring program is simulated using component maps inversely generated from the limited performance deck data provided by engine manufacturer. The base engine performance simulation program is evaluated because analysis results by this program agree well with the performance deck data. The proposed on-line condition program can monitor the real engine performance as well as the trend through precise comparison between clean engine performance results calculated by the base performance simulation program and measured engine performance signals. In the development phase of this monitoring system, a signal generation module is proposed to evaluate the proposed online monitoring system. For user friendly purpose, all monitoring program are coded by LabVIEW, and monitoring examples are demonstrated using the proposed GUI type on-condition monitoring program.

Optical Monitoring of Young Stellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kar, Aman; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kasper, David; Findlay, Joseph; Kobulnicky, Henry A.

2018-06-01

Observing Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) for variability in different wavelengths enables us to understand the evolution and structure of the protoplanetary disks around stars. The stars observed in this project are known YSOs that show variability in the Infrared. Targets were selected from the Spitzer Space Telescope Young Stellar Object Variability (YSOVAR) Program, which monitored star-forming regions in the mid-infrared. The goal of our project is to investigate any correlation between the variability in the infrared versus the optical. Infrared variability of YSOs is associated with the heating of the protoplanetary disk while accretion signatures are observed in the H-alpha region. We used the University of Wyoming’s Red Buttes Observatory to monitor these stars for signs of accretion using an H-alpha narrowband filter and the Johnson-Cousins filter set, over the Summer of 2017. We perform relative photometry and inspect for an image-to-image variation by observing these targets for a period of four months every two to three nights. The study helps us better understand the link between accretion and H-alpha activity and establish a disk-star connection.

Monitoring the environment and human sentiment on the Great Barrier Reef: Assessing the potential of collective sensing.

PubMed

Becken, Susanne; Stantic, Bela; Chen, Jinyan; Alaei, Ali Reza; Connolly, Rod M

2017-12-01

With the growth of smartphone usage the number of social media posts has significantly increased and represents potentially valuable information for management, including of natural resources and the environment. Already, evidence of using 'human sensor' in crises management suggests that collective knowledge could be used to complement traditional monitoring. This research uses Twitter data posted from the Great Barrier Reef region, Australia, to assess whether the extent and type of data could be used to Great Barrier Reef organisations as part of their monitoring program. The analysis reveals that large amounts of tweets, covering the geographic area of interest, are available and that the pool of information providers is greatly enhanced by the large number of tourists to this region. A keyword and sentiment analysis demonstrates the usefulness of the Twitter data, but also highlights that the actual number of Reef-related tweets is comparatively small and lacks specificity. Suggestions for further steps towards the development of an integrative data platform that incorporates social media are provided. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term marine litter monitoring in the remote Great Australian Bight, South Australia.

PubMed

Edyvane, K S; Dalgetty, A; Hone, P W; Higham, J S; Wace, N M

2004-06-01

The Anxious Bay beach litter clearance is the longest running annual survey of ocean-based litter in Australia. It's remoteness from centres of human population and location (with respect to prevailing winds and currents) make it an ideal place for monitoring ocean or ship-based litter in Australia's southern oceans and particularly, the Great Australian Bight. Over the 1991-1999 period, a large but gradual decline in the amount of beach washed litter was recorded (with minor peaks recorded during the 1992 and 1994 surveys). Beach washed litter decreased by approximately 86%, from 344 kg recorded in 1991 (13.2 kg/km) to 49 kg in 1999 (i.e. 1.9 kg/km), reaching a maximum of 390 kg in 1992 (or 15 kg/km of beach). However, a sharp increase in litter was recorded in 2000 (i.e. 252 kg or 9.7 kg/km). This increase in litter yield in 2000 is probably due to stronger than average onshore surface flow (or Ekman Transport) in the western Eyre Peninsula and Bight region. Prior to the survey in 2000, the results appeared to indicate that ocean litter on Anxious Bay beach was beginning to level out at around 50-70 kg/year (i.e. 2-3 kg/km). As the beach surveys involve the assumption that the beach is completely cleared of litter, this may represent a baseline level for ocean-based litter in the region. The yields and type of litter collected from the annual survey indicates that the majority of litter washed ashore originates from commercial fishing activities within the Great Australian Bight. Most of the fishing-related litter was directly sourced to the Southern Rock Lobster Fishery (i.e. bait buckets, baskets, pots), the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (i.e. codends, trawl nets) and the Southern Shark Fishery (i.e. monofilament gillnets and longlines). Between 1994 and 1999, large reductions were observed in the amount of bait straps (77% reduction), lobster bait baskets/buckets (86% reduction), nets/ropes (62% reduction) and floats/buoys (83% reduction). Significantly, fishing-related litter in the Bight has reduced at a slower rate than domestic litter. While the level of glass and soft plastics on the beach have both reduced by almost 93% (i.e. 103-7 kg and 119-8 kg, respectively), the level of hard plastics, has diminished at a slower rate, with reductions of only 75% (i.e. 122-30 kg). Some fisheries (i.e. rock lobster, Southern Shark Fishery) have shown marked reductions in fishing-related litter. This is probably due, to some extent, to significant reductions in fishing effort in the region, although this requires further investigation. The information from the Anxious Bay beach litter survey is crucial in monitoring trends in ocean litter in Australia's southern oceans and compliance with international litter regulations. While fishing-related litter remains the major source of ship-based or ocean litter in Australia's southern oceans, the continued reduction in ship-based litter since 1991 supports increasing compliance to MARPOL (Annex V) by commercial fisheries and shipping in the Great Australian Bight. While Australia participates in marine debris monitoring programs in the Antarctic (under CCAMLR), there is currently no national program or management framework to assess, manage and monitor ocean-based litter along Australia's coasts, and monitor compliance with MARPOL. Apart from the commitments under CCAMLR for Antarctic (and sub-Antarctic) marine environments, there are no other regional programs, guidelines or monitoring protocols or to assess and manage ocean litter in the Southern Ocean.

Real-time Specification and Forecasting for HF Links During Disturbed Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, D.; Hunsuker, R. D.; Eccles, J.; Sojka, J. J.

2004-05-01

The HF communications community has long been dependent on climatological ionosphere descriptions to support HF propagation programs. Additionally, these programs include solar zenith angle and frequency-squared variation of HF absorption but do not include space weather effects due to solar x-ray events and sporadic E layers. The usefulness of real-time specification and forecasting of HF links is desired in programs such as Operational Space Environment Network Display (OpSend). The creation of HF illumination maps requires proper specifications of D, E and F regions of the ionosphere. We present results and validation efforts of the Data-Driven D region (DDDR) model of HF absorption for mid-latitude HF paths. The DDDR programs assimilate real-time data such as the NOAA/GOES 12 x-ray measurements to produce space weather related absorption predictions. The data-driven model is being validated with observations from the HF Investigation of D-Region Ionospheric Variation Experiment (HIDIVE). Monitoring of standard time-frequency HF stations has been employed for the past three decades. The passive monitoring technique used in HIDIVE was mainly applied for studies of the high-latitude and equatorial ionosphere, thus long-term, quantitative data on the mid-latitude ionosphere are difficult to find in archival literature. HIDIVE is a careful examination of long-term observations HF absorption to study seasonal variation and space weather events. Simultaneous continuous measurements of NOAA/GOES 12 solar x-ray flux and calibrated HF signal strength were initiated in December 2002 to provide validation data for the DDDR model. Continuous recording of transmissions of standard time-frequency stations (WWV and WWVH) over the range of 2.5 to 20.0 MHz and 5-minute averages of 1.0 to 8.0 nm solar x-ray flux have been studied for 35 solar flares ranging from Class C to Class X from March through August 2003 during the descending phase of solar cycle 23. The monitoring stations are located at Providence, Utah and at Klamath Falls, Oregon and continuous recordings are planned through August 2005. In particular, we will examine the extreme solar events of October-November 2003 as an example of the Societal Impact of Space Weather. This is timely because of renewed interest in the use of HF circuits by the Military and by commercial airlines.

Time-variation of hydrothermal discharge at selected sites in the Western United States: Implications for monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ingebritsen, S.E.; Galloway, D.L.; Colvard, E.M.; Sorey, M.L.; Mariner, R.H.

2001-01-01

We compiled time series of hydrothermal discharge consisting of 3593 chloride- or heat-flux measurements from 24 sites in the Yellowstone region, the northern Oregon Cascades, Lassen Volcanic National Park and vicinity, and Long Valley, California. At all of these sites the hydrothermal phenomena are believed to be as yet unaffected by human activity, though much of the data collection was driven by mandates to collect environmental-baseline data in acticipation of geothermal development. The time series average 19 years in length and some of the Yellowstone sites have been monitored intermittently for over 30 years. Many sites show strong seasonality but few show clear long-term trends, and at most sites statistically significant decadal-scale trends are absent. Thus, the data provide robust estimates of advective heat flow ranging from ~130 MW in the north-central Oregon Cascades to ~6100 MW in the Yellowstone region, and also document Yellowstone hydrothermal chloride and arsenic fluxes of 1740 and 15-20 g/s, respectively. The discharge time series show little sensitivity to regional tectonic events such as earthquakes or inflation/deflation cycles. Most long-term monitoring to date has focused on high-chloride springs and low-temperature fumaroles. The relative stability of these features suggests that discharge measurements done as part of volcano-monitoring programs should focus instead on high-temperature fumaroles, which may be more immediately linked to the magmatic heat source. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Coordination as a best practice from the polio eradication initiative: Experiences from five member states in the African region of the World Health Organization.

PubMed

Okeibunor, Joseph; Nsubuga, Peter; Salla, Mbaye; Mihigo, Richard; Mkanda, Pascal

2016-10-10

As part of the efforts to eradicate polioviruses in the African Region, structures were put in place to ensure coordinated mobilization and deployment of resources within the framework of the global polio eradication initiative (PEI). The successes of these structures made them not only attractive to other public health interventions, but also caused them to be deployed to the response efforts of other diseases interventions, without any systematic documentation. This article documents the contributions of PEI coordination units to other public health interventions in the African Region of World Health Organization METHODS: We reviewed the contributions of PEI coordination units to other public health interventions in five countries in the African Region. The analysis identified significant involvement of PEI coordination structures in the implementation of routine immunization programs in all the countries analyzed. Similarly, maternal and child health programs were planned, implemented, monitored and evaluation the Inter-Agency Coordination Committees of the PEI programs in the different countries. The hubs system used in PEI in Chad facilitated the efficient coordination of resources for immunization and other public health interventions in Chad. Similarly, in the Democratic Republic of Congo PEI led coordination activities benefited other public health programs like disease control and the national nutrition program, the national malaria control program, and the tuberculosis control program. In Nigeria, the polio Expert Review Committee effectively deployed the Emergency Operation Center for the implementation of prioritized strategies and activities of the National Polio Eradication Emergency Plan, and it was utilized in the response to Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the country. The PEI-led coordination systems are thus recognized as having made significant contribution to the coordination and delivery of other public health interventions in the African Region. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the relative contribution of an ecological reserve to conservation objectives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aagaard, Kevin; Lyons, James E.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.

2017-01-01

Evaluating the role public lands play in meeting conservation goals is an essential step in good governance. We present a tool for comparing the regional contribution of each of a suite of wildlife management units to conservation goals. We use weighted summation (simple additive weighting) to compute a Unit Contribution Index (UCI) based on species richness, population abundance, and a conservation score based on IUCN Red List classified threat levels. We evaluate UCI for a subset of the 729 participating wetlands of the Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring (IWMM) Program across U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions 3 (Midwest USA), 4 (Southeast USA), and 5 (Northeast USA). We found that the median across-Region UCI for Region 5 was greater than Regions 3 and 4, while Region 4 had the greatest within-Region UCI median. This index is a powerful tool for wildlife managers to evaluate the performance of units within the conservation estate.

Strategic plan for the U.S. Geological Survey status and trends of Biological Resources Program: 2004-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dresler, Paul V.; James, Daniel L.; Geissler, Paul H.; Bartish, Timothy M.; Coyle, James

2004-01-01

The mission of the USGS Status and Trends of Biological Resources Program is to measure, predict, assess, and report the status and trends of the Nation's biological resources to facilitate research, enable resource management and stewardship, and promote public understanding and appreciation of our living resources. Determining the status (abundance, distribution, productivity, and health) and trends (how these variables change over time) of our living natural resources is critical for their Trumpeter swan with numbered wing tags. This tech- protection or restoration. The Progg ran nique allows birds to he monitored remotely without the provides the USGS, other agencies of need for recapture to identify individuals. Photo by the Department of the Interior (DOI), Wayne Miller. other federal and state agencies, and the public with science-based monitoring data and information for local, regional, and national assessment of biological resources and the ecosystems that support them.

Floristic Quality Index: An assessment tool for restoration projects and monitoring sites in coastal Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cretini, K.F.; Steyer, G.D.

2011-01-01

The Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) program was established to assess the effectiveness of individual coastal restoration projects and the cumulative effects of multiple projects at regional and coastwide scales. In order to make these assessments, analytical teams have been assembled for each of the primary data types sampled under the CRMS program, including vegetation, hydrology, landscape, and soils. These teams consist of scientists and support staff from the U.S. Geological Survey and other Federal agencies, the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration, and university academics. Each team is responsible for developing or identifying parameters, indices, or tools that can be used to assess coastal wetlands at various scales. The CRMS Vegetation Analytical Team has developed a Floristic Quality Index for coastal Louisiana to determine the quality of a wetland based on its plant species composition and abundance.

The complex system of environmental monitoring (CSEM). An analysis of concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazatsev, Yury I.; Mitchenkov, Igor G.

2018-01-01

Researches of ecological processes in Russia testify to rather difficult and adverse situation. It is quite obviously that we need a reasonable concept of an exit from the situation. It could become the strategic program for the solution of ecological tasks at the same time. In this regard, it is obviously necessary not just to develop new scientific and technological mechanisms to overcome of critical situations, but to offer a new research platform which will be able to give ideas to predict tendencies of ecological development and to analyses the consequences of their embodiment. Our offer for it is “the composite system of environmental monitoring” (CSEM) of the territory or region. We use a method of the conceptual analysis. Also, we will try to show how definition of the term influences to contents of social practicing, namely, environmental monitoring of the region.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Routine monitoring and sampling for radiation, radioactive materials, and chemical substances on and off the Oak Ridge Reservation are used to document compliance with appropriate standards, identify undesirable trends, provide information for the public, and contribute to general environmental knowledge. Regional stations located at distances of up to 140 km (90 miles) from the ORR provide a basis for determining conditions beyond the range of potential influence of the three Oak Ridge installations. Stations within the Reservation, around the perimeters and within each plant site, and in residential and community areas document conditions in areas occupied and visited by themore » public and potentially affected by the Oak Ridge operations. In all, during 1985 some 115,000 analyses of environmental samples were completed as part of the Reservation-wide and regional monitoring program. Included were approxiately 61,000 air, 41,000 surface water, 8090 groundwater, 2400 wastewater, 80 fish, 231 soil, 132 grass, 36 pine needle, 360 sediment, and 80 external gamma analyses.« less

The Health IT Regional Extension Center Program: evolution and lessons for health care transformation.

PubMed

Lynch, Kimberly; Kendall, Mat; Shanks, Katherine; Haque, Ahmed; Jones, Emily; Wanis, Maggie G; Furukawa, Michael; Mostashari, Farzad

2014-02-01

Assess the Regional Extension Center (REC) program's progress toward its goal of supporting over 100,000 providers in small, rural, and underserved practices to achieve meaningful use (MU) of an electronic health record (EHR). Data collected January 2010 through June 2013 via monitoring and evaluation of the 4-year REC program. Descriptive study of 62 REC programs. Primary data collected from RECs were merged with nine other datasets, and descriptive statistics of progress by practice setting and penetration of targeted providers were calculated. RECs recruited almost 134,000 primary care providers (PCPs), or 44 percent of the nation's PCPs; 86 percent of these were using an EHR with advanced functionality and almost half (48 percent) have demonstrated MU. Eighty-three percent of Federally Qualified Health Centers and 78 percent of the nation's Critical Access Hospitals were participating with an REC. RECs have made substantial progress in assisting PCPs with adoption and MU of EHRs. This infrastructure supports small practices, community health centers, and rural and public hospitals to use technology for care delivery transformation and improvement. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Changes in vegetation cover and composition in the Swedish mountain region.

PubMed

Hedenås, Henrik; Christensen, Pernilla; Svensson, Johan

2016-08-01

Climate change, higher levels of natural resource demands, and changing land use will likely lead to changes in vegetation configuration in the mountain regions. The aim of this study was to determine if the vegetation cover and composition have changed in the Swedish region of the Scandinavian Mountain Range, based on data from the long-term landscape biodiversity monitoring program NILS (National Inventory of Landscapes in Sweden). Habitat type and vegetation cover were assessed in 1740 systematically distributed permanent field plots grouped into 145 sample units across the mountain range. Horvitz-Thompson estimations were used to estimate the present areal extension of the alpine and the mountain birch forest areas of the mountain range, the cover of trees, shrubs, and plants, and the composition of the bottom layer vegetation. We employed the data from two subsequent 5-year monitoring periods, 2003-2007 and 2008-2012, to determine if there have been any changes in these characteristics. We found that the extension of the alpine and the mountain birch forest areas has not changed between the inventory phases. However, the total tree canopy cover increased in the alpine area, the cover of graminoids and dwarf shrubs and the total cover of field vegetation increased in both the alpine area and the mountain birch forest, the bryophytes decreased in the alpine area, and the foliose lichens decreased in the mountain birch forest. The observed changes in vegetation cover and composition, as assessed by systematic data in a national and regional monitoring scheme, can validate the results of local studies, experimental studies, and models. Through benchmark assessments, monitoring data also contributes to governmental policies and land-management strategies as well as to directed cause and effect analyses.

Long and short term changes in the forests of the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains using large scale forest inventory data

Treesearch

Christopher M. Oswalt; Andrew J. Hartsell

2012-01-01

The Cumberland Plateau and Mountains (CPM) are a significant component of the eastern deciduous forest with biological and cultural resources strongly connected to and dependent upon the forest resources of the region. As a result, continuous inventory and monitoring is critical. The USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program has been collecting...

40 CFR 49.23 - Federal Implementation Plan Provisions for Four Corners Power Plant, Navajo Nation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... recertification events. When valid SO2 pounds per hour, NO2 pounds per hour, or NO2 pounds per million Btu... approval. (ii) In the event that the owner or operator is unable to develop the plan required in paragraph... requested by the Regional Administrator. (vii) In the event that a program for parameter monitoring on Units...

40 CFR 49.23 - Federal Implementation Plan Provisions for Four Corners Power Plant, Navajo Nation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... recertification events. When valid SO2 pounds per hour, NO2 pounds per hour, or NO2 pounds per million Btu... approval. (ii) In the event that the owner or operator is unable to develop the plan required in paragraph... requested by the Regional Administrator. (vii) In the event that a program for parameter monitoring on Units...

Regional Resistance Surveillance Program Results for 12 Asia-Pacific Nations (2011)

PubMed Central

Mendes, Rodrigo E.; Mendoza, Myrna; Banga Singh, Kirnpal K.; Castanheira, Mariana; Bell, Jan M.; Turnidge, John D.; Lin, Stephen S. F.

2013-01-01

The Regional Resistance Surveillance program monitored susceptibility rates and developing resistance by geographic region, including 12 Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries. Reference broth microdilution methods for susceptibility/interpretations were applied, processing 5,053 strains. Among Staphylococcus aureus isolates (37% methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA], highest in South Korea [73%]), linezolid (LZD), tigecycline (TIG), and vancomycin were 100% active, but 33 and 34% of strains were levofloxacin (LEV) or macrolide resistant, respectively. Streptococcus pneumoniae was most resistant to β-lactams and macrolides (45%) but was LZD, LEV, and TIG susceptible (>98%). Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype rates in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. were 48 and 47%, respectively, and were highest in Taiwan, at 75 to 91%. The best anti-ESBL-phenotype agents were amikacin (81 to 96% susceptible), colistin (COL; >98%), TIG (>98%), and carbapenems (81 to 97%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed ≥20% resistance to all drugs except COL (99% susceptible). In conclusion, endemic evolving antimicrobial resistances in APAC nations show compromised roles for many commonly used antimicrobials. PMID:23959306

Volunteer water monitoring: A guide for state managers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-08-01

Contents: executive summary; volunteers in water monitoring; planning a volunteer monitoring program; implementing a volunteer monitoring program; providing credible information; costs and funding; and descriptions of five successful programs.

An overview of monitoring and reduction strategies for health and climate change related emissions in the Middle East and North Africa region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbass, Rana Alaa; Kumar, Prashant; El-Gendy, Ahmed

2018-02-01

This review assesses the current state of air pollution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Emission types and sources in the region are identified and quantified to understand the monitoring, legislative and reduction needs through a systematic review of available literature. It is found that both health (e.g., particulate matter, PM; and heavy metals) and climate change (e.g., carbon dioxide and methane) emissions are increasing with the time. Regarding health emissions, over 99% of the MENA population is exposed to PM levels that exceed the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The dominant source of climate change emissions is the energy sector contributing ∼38% of CO2 emissions, followed by the transport sector at ∼25%. Numerous studies have been carried out on air pollution in the region, however, there is a lack of comprehensive regional studies that would provide a holistic assessment. Most countries have air quality monitoring systems in place, however, the data is not effectively evaluated to devise pollution reduction strategies. Moreover, comprehensive emission inventories for the individual countries in the region are also lacking. The legislative and regulatory systems in MENA region follow the standards set by international environmental entities such as the WHO and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but their effective reinforcement remains a concern. It is concluded that the opportunities for emission reduction and control could be best implemented in the road transportation sector using innovative technologies. One of the potential ways forward is to channel finance flows from fossil fuel subsidies to upgrade road transport with public transportation systems such as buses and trains, as suggested by a 'high shift' scenario for MENA region. Furthermore, emission control programs and technologies are more effective when sponsored and implemented by the private sector; the success of Saudi Aramco in supporting national emission monitoring is one such example. Finally, an energy-pollution-water nexus is assessed for the region as an integrated approach to address its urban issues. The assessment of topic areas covered clearly suggests a need to control the main sources of air pollution to limit its relatively high impact on the human health in the MENA region.

Modern nature and climate changes in Siberia: new methods and results of analysis of instrumented observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabanov, Mikhail V.

2002-02-01

Peculiarity of nature and climate changes in middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and in Siberia is that the temporal variability of meteorological quantities here has a wide range and their spatial variability has a complicated zone structure. Therefore, regional monitoring of modern nature and climate changes in Siberia is of scientific interest from the viewpoint of the global changes observed. Another Siberian peculiarity is associated with the fact that there are many unique objects that have global importance both as natural complexes (boreal forests, water- bog systems, Baikal lake, etc.) And as technogenic objects (oil and gas production, coal mining, metallurgy, transport, etc.). Therefore monitoring and modeling of regional nature and climate changes in Siberia have great practical importance, which is underestimated now, for industrial development of Siberia. Taking into account the above peculiarities and tendencies on investigation of global and regional environmental and climate changes, the multidisciplinary project on Climate and Ecological Monitoring of Siberia (CEMS) was accepted to the research and development program Sibir' since 1993. To realize this project, the Climate and Ecological Observatory was established in Tomsk at the Institute for Optical Monitoring (IOM) SB RAS. At the present time the stations (the basic and background ones) of this observatory are in a progress and theory and instruments for monitoring are being developed as well. In this paper we discuss some results obtained in the framework of CEMS project that were partially published in the monographs, in scientific journals, and will be published in the Proceedings of the 8th Joint International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics and Atmosphere Physics. This review has a purpose not only to discuss the obtained regularities but also to formulate scientific and technical tasks for further investigations into the regional changes of technogenic, natural, and climate systems.

Coordinating across scales: Building a regional marsh bird monitoring program from national and state Initiatives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shriver, G.W.; Sauer, J.R.

2008-01-01

Salt marsh breeding bird populations (rails, bitterns, sparrows, etc.) in eastern North America are high conservation priorities in need of site specific and regional monitoring designed to detect population changes over time. The present status and trends of these species are unknown but anecdotal evidence of declines in many of the species has raised conservation concerns. Most of these species are listed as conservation priorities on comprehensive wildlife plans throughout the eastern U.S. National Wildlife Refuges, National Park Service units, and other wildlife conservation areas provide important salt marsh habitat. To meet management needs for these areas, and to assist regional conservation planning, survey designs are being developed to estimate abundance and population trends for these breeding bird species. The primary purpose of this project is to develop a hierarchical sampling frame for salt marsh birds in Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 30 that will provide the ability to estimate species population abundances on 1) specific sites (i.e. National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges), 2) within states or regions, and 3) within BCR 30. The entire breeding range of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed and Coastal Plain Swamp sparrows are within BCR 30, providing an opportunity to detect population trends within the entire breeding ranges of two priority species.

Using Integrated Ecosystem Observations from Gulf Watch Alaska to Assess the Effects of the 2014/2015 Pacific Warm Anomaly in the Northern Gulf of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holderied, K.; Neher, T. H.; McCammon, M.; Hoffman, K.; Hopcroft, R. R.; Lindeberg, M.; Ballachey, B.; Coletti, H.; Esler, D.; Weingartner, T.

2016-02-01

The response of nearshore and coastal pelagic ecosystems in the northern Gulf of Alaska to the 2014-2015 Pacific Ocean warm anomaly is being assessed with multi-disciplinary observations of the Gulf Watch Alaska long-term ecosystem monitoring program. Gulf Watch Alaska is an integrated, multi-agency program, funded by the Exxon Valdez oil spill Trustee Council to track populations of nearshore and pelagic species injured by the 1989 oil spill, as well as the marine conditions that affect those species. While the primary program goals are to support management and sustained recovery of species injured directly and indirectly by the spill, the integration of oceanographic observations with monitoring of nearshore and pelagic food webs also facilitates detection and assessment of ecosystem changes. The initial 5-year phase of the Gulf Watch Alaska program was started in 2012 and has provided marine ecosystem observations through the transition in late 2013 from anomalously cool to anomalously warm ocean conditions in the Gulf of Alaska. We review results from and linkages between oceanographic, whale, seabird, intertidal, and plankton monitoring projects in Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet and the northern Gulf of Alaska shelf. We also assess the different ecosystem responses observed between the summers of 2014 and 2015, with the region experiencing unusual amounts of seabird and marine mammal mortalities and harmful algal bloom events in 2015.

The NASA Carbon Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurtt, G. C.

2015-12-01

Greenhouse gas emission inventories, forest carbon sequestration programs (e.g., Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD and REDD+), cap-and-trade systems, self-reporting programs, and their associated monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) frameworks depend upon data that are accurate, systematic, practical, and transparent. A sustained, observationally-driven carbon monitoring system using remote sensing data has the potential to significantly improve the relevant carbon cycle information base for the U.S. and world. Initiated in 2010, NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) project is prototyping and conducting pilot studies to evaluate technological approaches and methodologies to meet carbon monitoring and reporting requirements for multiple users and over multiple scales of interest. NASA's approach emphasizes exploitation of the satellite remote sensing resources, computational capabilities, scientific knowledge, airborne science capabilities, and end-to-end system expertise that are major strengths of the NASA Earth Science program. Through user engagement activities, the NASA CMS project is taking specific actions to be responsive to the needs of stakeholders working to improve carbon MRV frameworks. The first phase of NASA CMS projects focused on developing products for U.S. biomass/carbon stocks and global carbon fluxes, and on scoping studies to identify stakeholders and explore other potential carbon products. The second phase built upon these initial efforts, with a large expansion in prototyping activities across a diversity of systems, scales, and regions, including research focused on prototype MRV systems and utilization of COTS technologies. Priorities for the future include: 1) utilizing future satellite sensors, 2) prototyping with commercial off-the-shelf technology, 3) expanding the range of prototyping activities, 4) rigorous evaluation, uncertainty quantification, and error characterization, 5) stakeholder engagement, 6) partnerships with other U.S. agencies and international partners, and 7) modeling and data assimilation.

Colombia's discharge fee program: incentives for polluters or regulators?

PubMed

Blackman, Allen

2009-01-01

Colombia's discharge fee system for water effluents is often held up as a model of a well-functioning, economic incentive pollution control program in a developing country. Yet few objective evaluations of the program have appeared. Based on a variety of primary and secondary data, this paper finds that in its first 5 years, the program was beset by a number of serious problems including limited implementation in many regions, widespread noncompliance by municipal sewerage authorities, and a confused relationship between discharge fees and emissions standards. Nevertheless, in some watersheds, pollution loads dropped significantly after the program was introduced. While proponents claim the incentives that discharge fees created for polluters to cut emissions in a cost-effective manner were responsible, this paper argues that the incentives they created for regulatory authorities to improve permitting, monitoring, and enforcement were at least as important.

Strengthening Agricultural Decisions in Countries at Risk of Food Insecurity: The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker-Reshef, I.; Barker, B.; McGaughey, K.; Humber, M. L.; Sanchez, A.; Justice, C. O.; Rembold, F.; Verdin, J. P.

2016-12-01

Timely, reliable information on crop conditions, and prospects at the subnational scale, is critical for making informed policy and agricultural decisions for ensuring food security, particularly for the most vulnerable countries. However, such information is often incomplete or lacking. As such, the Crop Monitor for Early Warning (CM for EW) was developed with the goal to reduce uncertainty and strengthen decision support by providing actionable information on a monthly basis to national, regional and global food security agencies through timely consensus assessments of crop conditions. This information is especially critical in recent years, given the extreme weather conditions impacting food supplies including the most recent El Nino event. This initiative brings together the main international food security monitoring agencies and organizations to develop monthly crop assessments based on satellite observations, meteorological information, field observations and ground reports, which reflect an international consensus. This activity grew out of the successful Crop Monitor for the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), which provides operational monthly crop assessments of the main producing countries of the world. The CM for EW was launched in February 2016 and has already become a trusted source of information internationally and regionally. Its assessments have been featured in a large number of news articles, reports, and press releases, including a joint statement by the USAID's FEWS NET, UN World Food Program, European Commission Joint Research Center, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organziation, on the devastating impacts of the southern African drought due to El Nino. One of the main priorities for this activity going forward is to expand its partnership with regional and national monitoring agencies, and strengthen capacity for national crop condition assessments.

First results of tall tower based nitrous oxide flux monitoring over an agricultural region in Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haszpra, László; Hidy, Dóra; Taligás, Tímea; Barcza, Zoltán

2018-03-01

Nitrous oxide is one of the atmospheric greenhouse gases whose amount is significantly influenced by human activity. Its major anthropogenic sources are the agricultural soils but the emission is known only with large uncertainty yet. The paper presents a tall tower based measuring system installed in Hungary, which is designed for the long-term monitoring of nitrous oxide emission of a regionally typical composition of agricultural fields by means of eddy covariance technique. Due to the careful calibration of the gas analyzer applied the measuring system is also suitable for the recording of the atmospheric concentration of nitrous oxide on the globally compatible scale (WMO X2006A). The paper reports the results of the first two years of the monitoring program, which is the first of its kind in Central Europe. For the period of July 2015-June 2017 the concentration measurements indicate an increasing trend of 0.91 nmol mol-1 year-1 with an average concentration of 330.64 nmol mol-1. During the two years of the project, the monitoring system recorded a total of 441 ± 195 mg N2O-N m-2 nitrous oxide emission with late spring/early summer maximum. The measurements also revealed the episodic nature of the emission typically triggered by major precipitation events.

A Regional Approach to Wildlife Monitoring Related to Energy Exploration and Development in Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kotliar, Natasha B.; Bowen, Zachary H.; Ouren, Douglas S.; Farmer, Adrian H.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently developing a National Monitoring Strategy that will guide efforts to create an efficient and effective process for monitoring land health by BLM. To inform the ongoing development of the national strategy, BLM selected two States (Colorado, Alaska) to serve as focal areas on which to base a flexible framework for developing monitoring programs that evaluate wildlife responses to energy development. We developed a three-phase monitoring plan to serve as a template and applied it to the design of a monitoring program for the Colorado focal area (White River and Glenwood Springs Field Offices of the BLM). Phase I is a synthesis and assessment of current conditions that capitalizes on existing but under used data sources. A key component is the use of existing habitat and landscape models to evaluate the cumulative effects of surface disturbance. Phase II is the data collection process that uses information provided in Phase I to refine management objectives and provide a linkage to management decisions. The linkage is established through targeted monitoring, adaptive management, and research. Phase III establishes priorities and strategies for regional and national monitoring, and facilitates coordination among other land management agencies and organizations. The three phases are designed to be flexible and complementary. The monitoring plan guides an iterative process that is performed incrementally, beginning with the highest-priority species and management issues, while building on lessons learned and coordination among administrative levels. The activities associated with each phase can be repeated or updated as new information, data, or tools become available. This allows the development of a monitoring program that expands gradually and allows for rapid implementation. A demonstration application of the three-phase monitoring plan was conducted for a study area encompassing five BLM field offices in Colorado: White River, Glenwood Springs, Kremmling, Grand Junction, and Little Snake. The overall study area was selected to encompass the primary distribution of sagebrush and greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Colorado and to provide a larger context for evaluating priority management issues of the White River and Glenwood Springs Field Offices. Within the study area, we selected an additional scale of analysis: the Roan Plateau, an area of increased energy development. We focused our demonstration project on the primary objectives identified by the BLM and other stakeholders: (1) How do we evaluate the cumulative effects of energy development and mitigation activities on species of management interest or concern? (2) How can cumulative effects, including direct and indirect effects, be quantified relative to natural variation? (3) How can we implement compliance and effectiveness monitoring to determine whether lease stipulations are met and restoration/mitigation goals are achieved? We targeted greater sage-grouse because this species was identified as a monitoring priority for the White River Field Office. We also evaluated landscape-level indices to address fragmentation resulting from surface disturbance. The primary purpose of this exercise was to highlight the types of analyses and approaches that could be used to evaluate energy development in an application of the three-phase framework. We provide examples of Phase I products that can be used to guide the refinement of management objectives, development of adaptive management and research frameworks, and planning activities in Phase II. Finally, we report on the BLM's National Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy as an example of Phase III activities. The development of an effective monitoring program is a daunting task, and will be difficult to implement by the BLM independently due to the current work load of staff. However, the scientific expertise and experience for developing cr

Northeast Regional Cancer Institute's Cancer Surveillance and Risk Factor Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lesko, Samuel M.

2007-07-31

OBJECTIVES The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute is conducting a program of ongoing epidemiologic research to address cancer disparities in northeast Pennsylvania. Of particular concern are disparities in the incidence of, stage at diagnosis, and mortality from colorectal cancer. In northeast Pennsylvania, age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates for colorectal cancer are higher, and a significantly smaller proportion of new colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed with local stage disease than is observed in comparable national data. Further, estimates of the prevalence of colorectal cancer screening in northeast Pennsylvania are lower than the US average. The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s research program supportsmore » surveillance of common cancers, investigations of cancer risk factors and screening behaviors, and the development of resources to further cancer research in this community. This project has the following specific objectives: I. To conduct cancer surveillance in northeast Pennsylvania. a. To monitor incidence and mortality for all common cancers, and colorectal cancer, in particular, and b. To document changes in the stage at diagnosis of colorectal cancer in this high-risk, underserved community. II. To conduct a population-based study of cancer risk factors and screening behavior in a six county region of northeast Pennsylvania. a. To monitor and document changes in colorectal cancer screening rates, and b. To document the prevalence of cancer risk factors (especially factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer) and to identify those risk factors that are unusually common in this community. APPROACH Cancer surveillance was conducted using data from the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s population-based Regional Cancer Registry, the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, and NCI’s SEER program. For common cancers, incidence and mortality were examined by county within the region and compared to data for similar populations in the US. For colorectal cancer, the stage at diagnosis of cases diagnosed in northeast Pennsylvania was compared to data from prior years. A population-based interview study of healthy adults was conducted to document the status of cancer screening and to estimate the prevalence of established cancer risk factors in this community. This study is similar in design to that used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This program includes two distinct but related projects. The first project uses existing data to conduct cancer surveillance in northeast Pennsylvania, and the second is a population-based study of cancer risk factors and cancer screening behaviors in this same population. HUMAN SUBJECTS CONSIDERATIONS This program includes two projects: cancer surveillance and a population-based study of cancer risk factors and screening behavior. The cancer surveillance project involves only the use of existing aggregate data or de-identified data. As such, the surveillance project is exempt from human subjects considerations. The study of cancer risk factors and screening behaviors includes data from a random sample of adult residents of northeast Pennsylvania who are 18 or more years of age. All races, ethnicities and both sexes are included in proportion to their representation in the population. Subjects are interviewed anonymously by telephone; those who are unable to complete an interview in English are ineligible. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Scranton-Temple Residency Program IRB (IRB00001355), which is the IRB for the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.« less

A New Master of Natural Hazards Program at The Australian National University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozgay, S.; Zoleta-Nantes, D.

2009-12-01

The new Master of Natural Hazards program at The Australian National University provides a multi-disciplinary approach to the study and monitoring of geophysical processes that can lead to the recognition of hazards and a consequent reduction of their impacts through emergency measures, disaster plans, and relief and rehabilitation. The program provides people with an understanding of the most up-to-date scientific understanding on the causes of natural hazards, their effects on human societies, and ways to mitigate their impacts and reduce their losses by focusing on Australia and the Asia-Pacific case studies. The Master of Natural Hazards program brings together the expertise of researchers across the university to provide an opportunity for students to do coursework and research projects that will provide them with extensive knowledge of the natural hazards that occur and pose the greatest risks on human communities in the Asia-Pacific, and an understanding of the human dimensions of the natural hazards occurrences. The program consists of two compulsory courses each in the Earth Sciences and in the Social Sciences that are designed to provide a complementary and comprehensive overview of natural hazards issues. Elective courses can be of a general grouping, or students may choose one of four Focus Streams: Environmental and Geographic Studies; Climate Change; Earth Structure and Imaging; or Socio-economic, Development and Policy Studies. A special case study project will involve writing a thesis on a topic to be approved by the Program Conveners and will comprise a body of work on an approved topic in natural hazards in the Asia-Pacific region. Students in this program will gain a broad scientific knowledge and methodological skills to understand the physical causes and frequency of the most important natural hazards in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the latest scientific methods and best practices of monitoring them for hazard mapping and disaster reduction purposes. Furthermore, students will learn to apply critical thinking in studying the involvement of societies’ social systems in framing and influencing the severity of impacts and destructions that are brought about by different physical events. The academic training in hazards and disaster research that the program offers will enable students to get actively involved in the preparation of short- and long-term disaster mitigation programs that can help members of communities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region who, without sufficient knowledge on hazards and skills on disaster management, would be left vulnerable against the adversities that can be brought about by natural hazards.

40 CFR 264.99 - Compliance monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... be based on a compliance monitoring program developed to meet the requirements of this section. (i... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Compliance monitoring program. 264.99... Releases From Solid Waste Management Units § 264.99 Compliance monitoring program. An owner or operator...

Steps Towards the Implementation of a Tsunami Detection, Warning, Mitigation and Preparedness Program for Southwestern Coastal Areas of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farreras, Salvador; Ortiz, Modesto; Gonzalez, Juan I.

2007-03-01

The highly vulnerable Pacific southwest coast of Mexico has been repeatedly affected by local, regional and remote source tsunamis. Mexico presently has no national tsunami warning system in operation. The implementation of key elements of a National Program on Tsunami Detection, Monitoring, Warning and Mitigation is in progress. For local and regional events detection and monitoring, a prototype of a robust and low cost high frequency sea-level tsunami gauge, sampling every minute and equipped with 24 hours real time transmission to the Internet, was developed and is currently in operation. Statistics allow identification of low, medium and extreme hazard categories of arriving tsunamis. These categories are used as prototypes for computer simulations of coastal flooding. A finite-difference numerical model with linear wave theory for the deep ocean propagation, and shallow water nonlinear one for the near shore and interaction with the coast, and non-fixed boundaries for flooding and recession at the coast, is used. For prevention purposes, tsunami inundation maps for several coastal communities, are being produced in this way. The case of the heavily industrialized port of Lázaro Cárdenas, located on the sand shoals of a river delta, is illustrated; including a detailed vulnerability assessment study. For public education on preparedness and awareness, printed material for children and adults has been developed and published. It is intended to extend future coverage of this program to the Mexican Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas.

National Stream Quality Accounting Network and National Monitoring Network Basin Boundary Geospatial Dataset, 2008–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baker, Nancy T.

2011-01-01

This report and the accompanying geospatial data were created to assist in analysis and interpretation of water-quality data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) and by the U.S. Coastal Waters and Tributaries National Monitoring Network (NMN), which is a cooperative monitoring program of Federal, regional, and State agencies. The report describes the methods used to develop the geospatial data, which was primarily derived from the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. The geospatial data contains polygon shapefiles of basin boundaries for 33 NASQAN and 5 NMN streamflow and water-quality monitoring stations. In addition, 30 polygon shapefiles of the closed and noncontributing basins contained within the NASQAN or NMN boundaries are included. Also included is a point shapefile of the NASQAN and NMN monitoring stations and associated basin and station attributes. Geospatial data for basin delineations, associated closed and noncontributing basins, and monitoring station locations are available at http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/ds641_nasqan_wbd12.xml.

Understanding Program Monitoring: The Relationships among Outcomes, Indicators, Measures, and Targets. REL 2014-011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Nolan; Mark, Lauren; Narayan, Krishna

2014-01-01

This guide offers educators, program managers, administrators, and researchers a resource for building capacity for monitoring program outcomes. It provides concise definitions of program monitoring components and a framework for assessing program progress. Examples demonstrate the relationships among program components: outcomes, indicators,…

Developing a Physician Management & Leadership Program (PMLP) in Newfoundland and Labrador.

PubMed

Maddalena, Victor; Fleet, Lisa

2015-01-01

This article aims to document the process the province of Newfoundland and Labrador used to develop an innovative Physician Management and Leadership Program (PMLP). The PMLP is a collaborative initiative among Memorial University (Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Business), the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Regional Health Authorities. As challenges facing health-care systems become more complex there is a growing need for management and leadership training for physicians. Memorial University Faculty of Medicine and the Gardiner Centre in the Faculty of Business in partnership with Regional Health Authorities and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador identified the need for a leadership and management education program for physician leaders. A provincial needs assessment of physician leaders was conducted to identify educational needs to fill this identified gap. A Steering Committee was formed to guide the design and implementation and monitor delivery of the 10 module Physician Management and Leadership Program (PMLP). Designing management and leadership education programs to serve physicians who practice in a large, predominately rural geographic area can be challenging and requires efficient use of available resources and technology. While there are many physician management and leadership programs available in Canada and abroad, the PMLP was designed to meet the specific educational needs of physician leaders in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Establishing a national biological laboratory safety and security monitoring program.

PubMed

Blaine, James W

2012-12-01

The growing concern over the potential use of biological agents as weapons and the continuing work of the Biological Weapons Convention has promoted an interest in establishing national biological laboratory biosafety and biosecurity monitoring programs. The challenges and issues that should be considered by governments, or organizations, embarking on the creation of a biological laboratory biosafety and biosecurity monitoring program are discussed in this article. The discussion focuses on the following questions: Is there critical infrastructure support available? What should be the program focus? Who should be monitored? Who should do the monitoring? How extensive should the monitoring be? What standards and requirements should be used? What are the consequences if a laboratory does not meet the requirements or is not willing to comply? Would the program achieve the results intended? What are the program costs? The success of a monitoring program can depend on how the government, or organization, responds to these questions.

Short-term changes in soil C, N, and biota following harvesting and regeneration of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Treesearch

Mason C. Carter; Thomas J. Dean; Minyi Zhou; Michael G. Messina; Ziyin Wang

2002-01-01

In affiliation with the USDA-FS long-term soil productivity program, a series of studies have been established in the US gulf coast region to monitor the effects of intensive silviculture on site productivity. This report presents early results of a study of the interactive effects of harvest intensity and cultural treatments on soil C, N, and biological processes...

Effects of winter temperatures on gypsy moth egg masses in the Great Lakes region of the United States.

Treesearch

J.A. Andresen; D.G. McCullough; B.E. Potter; C.N. Koller; L.S. Bauer; C. W. Ramm

2001-01-01

Accurate prediction of winter survival of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) eggs and phenology of egg hatch in spring are strongly dependent on temperature and are critical aspects of gypsy moth management programs. We monitored internal temperatures of egg masses at three heights aboveground level and at the four cardinal aspects on oak tree stems at two different...

Monitoring tropical environments with Space Shuttle photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helfert, Michael R.; Lulla, Kamlesh P.

1989-01-01

Orbital photography from the Space Shuttle missions (1981-88) and earlier manned spaceflight programs (1962-1975) allows remote sensing time series to be constructed for observations of environmental change in selected portions of the global tropics. Particular topics and regions include deforestation, soil erosion, supersedimentation in streams, lacustrine, and estuarine environments, and desertification in the greater Amazon, tropical Africa and Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific archipelagoes.

Evaluating Site-Specific and Generic Spatial Models of Aboveground Forest Biomass Based on Landsat Time-Series and LiDAR Strip Samples in the Eastern USA

Treesearch

Ram Deo; Matthew Russell; Grant Domke; Hans-Erik Andersen; Warren Cohen; Christopher Woodall

2017-01-01

Large-area assessment of aboveground tree biomass (AGB) to inform regional or national forest monitoring programs can be efficiently carried out by combining remotely sensed data and field sample measurements through a generic statistical model, in contrast to site-specific models. We integrated forest inventory plot data with spatial predictors from Landsat time-...

Antifungal susceptibilities of Candida, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus from the Asia and Western Pacific region: data from the SENTRY antifungal surveillance program (2010-2012).

PubMed

Pfaller, Michael A; Messer, Shawn A; Jones, Ronald N; Castanheira, Mariana

2015-09-01

The SENTRY Antifungal Surveillance Program monitors global susceptibility rates of newer and established antifungal agents. We report the in vitro activity of seven antifungal agents against 496 contemporary clinical isolates of yeasts and molds. The isolates were obtained from 20 laboratories in the Asia-Western Pacific (APAC) region during 2010 through 2012. Anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole were susceptibility tested using CLSI methods and species-specific interpretive criteria. Sequencing of fks hot spots was performed for echinocandin-resistant strains. Isolates included 13 species of Candida (n=460), 5 species of non-Candida yeasts (21), 5 species of Aspergillus (11) and 4 other molds. Echinocandin resistance was uncommon among eight species of Candida and was only detected in three isolates of Candida glabrata, two from Australia harboring mutations in fks1 (F625S) and fks2 (S663P). Resistance to the azoles was much more common and was observed among all species with the exception of Candida dubliniensis. Fluconazole resistance rates observed with C. glabrata (6.8%) was comparable to that seen with Candida parapsilosis (5.7%) and Candida tropicalis (3.6%). Cross resistance among the triazoles was seen with each of these three species. The mold-active azoles and the echinocandins were all active against isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus. Azole resistance was not detected among the isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Antifungal resistance is uncommon among isolates of fungi causing invasive fungal infections in the APAC region. As in other regions of the world, emerging resistance to the echinocandins among invasive isolates of C. glabrata bears close monitoring.

40 CFR 122.48 - Requirements for recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... representative of the monitored activity including, when appropriate, continuous monitoring; (c) Applicable... reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). 122.48 Section 122.48... recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). All permits...

40 CFR 122.48 - Requirements for recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... representative of the monitored activity including, when appropriate, continuous monitoring; (c) Applicable... reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). 122.48 Section 122.48... recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). All permits...

40 CFR 122.48 - Requirements for recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... representative of the monitored activity including, when appropriate, continuous monitoring; (c) Applicable... reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). 122.48 Section 122.48... recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). All permits...

40 CFR 122.48 - Requirements for recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... representative of the monitored activity including, when appropriate, continuous monitoring; (c) Applicable... reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). 122.48 Section 122.48... recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). All permits...

40 CFR 122.48 - Requirements for recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... representative of the monitored activity including, when appropriate, continuous monitoring; (c) Applicable... reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). 122.48 Section 122.48... recording and reporting of monitoring results (applicable to State programs, see § 123.25). All permits...

Concurrent Temporal and Spatial Trends in Sulfate and Organic Mass Concentrations Measured in the IMPROVE Monitoring Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malm, William C.; Schichtel, Bret A.; Hand, Jenny L.; Collett, Jeffrey L.

2017-10-01

Recent modeling and field studies have highlighted a relationship between sulfate concentrations and secondarily formed organic aerosols related to isoprene and other volatile biogenic gaseous emissions. The relationship between these biogenic emissions and sulfate is thought to be primarily associated with the effect of sulfate on aerosol acidity, increased aerosol water at high relative humidities, and aerosol volume. The Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program provides aerosol concentration levels of sulfate (SO4) and organic carbon (OC) at 136 monitoring sites in rural and remote areas of the United States over time periods of between 15 and 28 years. This data set allows for an examination of relationships between these variables over time and space. The relative decreases in SO4 and OC were similar over most of the eastern United States, even though concentrations varied dramatically from one region to another. The analysis implied that for every unit decrease in SO4 there was about a 0.29 decrease in organic aerosol mass (OA = 1.8 × OC). This translated to a 2 μg/m3 decrease in biogenically derived secondary organic aerosol over 15 years in the southeastern United States. The analysis further implied that 35% and 27% in 2001 and 2015, respectively, of average total OA may be biogenically derived secondary organic aerosols and that there was a small but significant decrease in OA not linked to changes in SO4 concentrations. The analysis yields a constraint on ambient SO4-OC relationships that should help to refine and improve regional-scale chemical transport models.

Development of an interprofessional program for cardiovascular prevention in primary care: A participatory research approach

PubMed Central

Goudreau, Johanne; Hudon, Éveline; Lussier, Marie-Thérèse; Bareil, Céline; Duhamel, Fabie; Lévesque, Lise; Turcotte, Alain; Lalonde, Gilles

2014-01-01

Background: The chronic care model provides a framework for improving the management of chronic diseases. Participatory research could be useful in developing a chronic care model–based program of interventions, but no one has as yet offered a description of precisely how to apply the approach. Objectives: An innovative, structured, multi-step participatory process was applied to select and develop (1) chronic care model–based interventions program to improve cardiovascular disease prevention that can be adapted to a particular regional context and (2) a set of indicators to monitor its implementation. Methods: Primary care clinicians (n = 16), administrative staff (n = 2), patients and family members (n = 4), decision makers (n = 5), researchers, and a research coordinator (n = 7) took part in the process. Additional primary care actors (n = 26) validated the program. Results: The program targets multimorbid patients at high or moderate risk of cardiovascular disease with uncontrolled hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes. It comprises interprofessional follow-up coordinated by case-management nurses, in which motivated patients are referred in a timely fashion to appropriate clinical and community resources. The program is supported by clinical tools and includes training in motivational interviewing. A set of 89 process and clinical indicators were defined. Conclusion: Through a participatory process, a contextualized interventions program to optimize cardiovascular disease prevention and a set of quality indicators to monitor its implementation were developed. Similar approach might be used to develop other health programs in primary care if program developers are open to building on community strengths and priorities. PMID:26770705

Assessing Potential of VIIRS Data for Contribution to a Forest Threat Early Warning System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spruce, Joseph P.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the contributions by the Rapid Prototyping Capability (RPC) towards using Visible Infrared Imager / Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data in assessing the damage to forests. The Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 mandates development of national Early Warning System (EWS) for forest threat monitoring and mitigation. NASA Stennis is working with the US Forest Service to develop needed components of this EWS. The use of MODIS data for monitoring forest disturbance at broad regional scales is a componet of this program. This RPC experiment was initiated to assess potential of the MODIS follow-on, VIIRS, for monitoring forest disturbance at broad scales and thereby contributing to the EWS. This presentation reviews the potential use of the VIIRS to examine the damage to forests caused by gyspy moths in the West Virginia and Virginia area.

Monitoring in the context of structured decision-making and adaptive management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, J.E.; Runge, M.C.; Laskowski, H.P.; Kendall, W.L.

2008-01-01

In a natural resource management setting, monitoring is a crucial component of an informed process for making decisions, and monitoring design should be driven by the decision context and associated uncertainties. Monitoring itself can play >3 roles. First, it is important for state-dependent decision-making, as when managers need to know the system state before deciding on the appropriate course of action during the ensuing management cycle. Second, monitoring is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of management actions relative to objectives. Third, in an adaptive management setting, monitoring provides the feedback loop for learning about the system; learning is sought not for its own sake but primarily to better achieve management objectives. In this case, monitoring should be designed to reduce the critical uncertainties in models of the managed system. The United States Geological Survey and United States Fish and Wildlife Service are conducting a large-scale management experiment on 23 National Wildlife Refuges across the Northeast and Midwest Regions. The primary management objective is to provide habitat for migratory waterbirds, particularly during migration, using water-level manipulations in managed wetlands. Key uncertainties are related to the potential trade-offs created by management for a specific waterbird guild (e.g., migratory shorebirds) and the response of waterbirds, plant communities, and invertebrates to specific experimental hydroperiods. We reviewed the monitoring program associated with this study, and the ways that specific observations fill >1 of the roles identified above. We used observations from our monitoring to improve state-dependent decisions to control undesired plants, to evaluate management performance relative to shallow-water habitat objectives, and to evaluate potential trade-offs between waterfowl and shorebird habitat management. With limited staff and budgets, management agencies need efficient monitoring programs that are used for decision-making, not comprehensive studies that elucidate all manner of ecological relationships.

Engaging and Empowering the National Park Service to apply Earth Observations to Management Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, A.; Ross, K. W.; Crepps, G.; Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ruiz, M. L.; Rogers, L.; Allsbrook, K. N.

2017-12-01

Since 2015, the NASA DEVELOP National Program has partnered with the National Park Service (NPS) engaging more than 120 program participants, working on over 22 projects across approximately 27 unique park units. These projects examined a variety of cultural and environmental concerns facing the NPS including landscape disturbance, invasive species mapping, archaeological site preservation, and water resources monitoring. DEVELOP, part of NASA's Applied Sciences' Capacity Building program, conducts 10-week feasibility projects which demonstrate the utility of NASA's Earth observations as an additional tool for decision-making processes. This presentation will highlight several of these projects and discuss the progress of capacity building working with individual, regional, and institutional elements within the National Park Service.

U.S. Geological Survey coastal and marine geology research; recent highlights and achievements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, S. Jeffress; Barnes, Peter W.; Prager, Ellen J.

2000-01-01

The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program has large-scale national and regional research projects that focus on environmental quality, geologic hazards, natural resources, and information transfer. This Circular highlights recent scientific findings of the program, which play a vital role in the USGS endeavor to understand human interactions with the natural environment and to determine how the fundamental geologic processes controlling the Earth work. The scientific knowledge acquired through USGS research and monitoring is critically needed by planners, government agencies, and the public. Effective communication of the results of this research will enable the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program to play an integral part in assisting the Nation in responding the pressing Earth science challenges of the 21st century.

Promoting health equity: WHO health inequality monitoring at global and national levels.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne

2015-01-01

Health equity is a priority in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and other major health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a history of promoting actions to achieve equity in health, including efforts to encourage the practice of health inequality monitoring. Health inequality monitoring systems use disaggregated data to identify disadvantaged subgroups within populations and inform equity-oriented health policies, programs, and practices. This paper provides an overview of a number of recent and current WHO initiatives related to health inequality monitoring at the global and/or national level. We outline the scope, content, and intended uses/application of the following: Health Equity Monitor database and theme page; State of inequality: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health report; Handbook on health inequality monitoring: with a focus on low- and middle-income countries; Health inequality monitoring eLearning module; Monitoring health inequality: an essential step for achieving health equity advocacy booklet and accompanying video series; and capacity building workshops conducted in WHO Member States and Regions. The paper concludes by considering how the work of the WHO can be expanded upon to promote the establishment of sustainable and robust inequality monitoring systems across a variety of health topics among Member States and at the global level.

Promoting health equity: WHO health inequality monitoring at global and national levels

PubMed Central

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne

2015-01-01

Background Health equity is a priority in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and other major health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a history of promoting actions to achieve equity in health, including efforts to encourage the practice of health inequality monitoring. Health inequality monitoring systems use disaggregated data to identify disadvantaged subgroups within populations and inform equity-oriented health policies, programs, and practices. Objective This paper provides an overview of a number of recent and current WHO initiatives related to health inequality monitoring at the global and/or national level. Design We outline the scope, content, and intended uses/application of the following: Health Equity Monitor database and theme page; State of inequality: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health report; Handbook on health inequality monitoring: with a focus on low- and middle-income countries; Health inequality monitoring eLearning module; Monitoring health inequality: an essential step for achieving health equity advocacy booklet and accompanying video series; and capacity building workshops conducted in WHO Member States and Regions. Conclusions The paper concludes by considering how the work of the WHO can be expanded upon to promote the establishment of sustainable and robust inequality monitoring systems across a variety of health topics among Member States and at the global level. PMID:26387506

Regional Cumulative Effects Groundwater Management Associated with Large Resource Development Projects: Integrating Adaptive Management with Monitoring and Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckers, J.; Fennell, J.; Scott, M.

2011-12-01

We will present a systematic approach to cumulative effects groundwater management predicated on an integration of traditional tools and the necessary intimate connection between modelling, monitoring and adaptive management, which includes an inventory and gap analysis of available data, consideration for system dynamics in the context of climate variability and change, an assessment of aquifer vulnerability, and consideration for potential future development and overall associated risk to groundwater resources and connected receptors. In our experience, a systematic approach to cumulative effects groundwater management is key to addressing complex challenges associated with large resource development projects, with effects of these projects to aquifer systems often occurring at regional scales and possibly enduring over long time horizons. The principal goal for the groundwater management framework is to manage groundwater resources in a sustainable manner and protect it from over-use. However, proper balances with economic and community objectives need to be taken into account, emphasizing the need for stakeholder engagement in the overall process. Through an understanding of inter-relationships between natural resource and other objectives, legislation, policies and programs across various sectors goals can be developed to achieve the best overall long-term benefits for society and the environment, while minimizing conflicts. The principal goal of monitoring is to evaluate past and current conditions and address data gaps. Long-term monitoring can also be used to improve the hydrogeologic conceptualization of a region. The role of numerical modelling is to quantify the understanding of groundwater flow systems in a region, address uncertainty in this understanding, to quantify potential regional cumulative impacts of current and future development, to provide recommendations for future monitoring locations and targets and for assessing the effectiveness of existing water management guidelines. Each of the three main tools for groundwater management cannot be used in isolation, decision making and regional management is optimized by their proper integration where each tool informs the others. Lastly, water management needs to be adaptive. The tools developed for groundwater management are dynamic, not static, and require regular updating and maintenance as new information becomes available (performance monitoring) and/or new questions and challenges arise. This in turn requires a clear specification of roles and responsibilities of various parties including regulators, operators, stakeholders and consultants. The presentation will introduce our systematic methodology to water management with examples of recent successful implementation from Canada and/or Australia.

Introduction to: Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation(AMOC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakkinen, Sirpa; Carton, James A.

2011-01-01

A striking conclusion of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report is the crucial role that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may play in anthropogenic climate change. However, these IPCC coupled climate simulations show a broad range of uncertainty in the magnitude and timing of AMOC transport change ranging from none to nearly complete collapse within the 21st century. The potential consequences of large changes in the characteristics of AMOC have motivated the creation in the United States of an interagency program and implementation plan to develop monitoring and prediction capabilities for the AMOC This program parallels the development of substantial monitoring efforts by European, South American and African countries -- notably the UK Rapid and Rapid-Watch programs. The papers contained in this volume are derived from presentations at the First U.S. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) Meeting held 4 - 6 May, 2009 to review the US implementation plan and its coordination with other monitoring activities. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation consists of multiple components illustrated in an attached figure. Water enters the South Atlantic at upper and intermediate depths through both western and eastern routes (where eddy transport is especially important) and is transported northward across the equator, where it recirculates within the northern subtropical and subpolar gyres. The northern end is defined by the sinking regions of the Nordic Seas and the Labrador Sea where the waters that eventually form the upper and lower branches of North Atlantic Deep Water are conditioned. High surface salinities, the result of high net evaporation in the tropics and subtropics (including the Mediterranean Sea), and presence of regions of the Arctic Ocean that remain ice-free even in winter allow for the rapid cooling and thus densification of surface water. This dense surface water becomes the source of deep water formation in the sinking regions. In addition to transporting mass, the AMOC transports roughly half of the total amount of heat carried northward through the northern subtropics (down the temperature-gradient) by the ocean. In contrast in the Southern Hemisphere AMOC transports heat up-gradient from the cool Circumpolar Current to the warm tropics. Paleoevidence suggests that AMOC heat transport in the two hemispheres has varied over time in ways intimately tied to millennial changes in the Earth's climate. In one example, the abrupt Younger Dryas spell of cold weather over the North Atlantic, which began 13,000 years ago, has generally been linked to a millennial shutdown of the AMOC as a result of massive freshwater discharge from the North American continent. The current AMOC monitoring array consists of a series of instrumented transects located across key passages (see Cunningham et al., 2010 for a recent review). In the Arctic and sub-Arctic, transects cross Fram Strait, Denmark Strait and the Faroe Channel (connecting Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom), as well as the entrance to the Labrador Sea. Further south and extending outwards from the east coast of North America there are a series of monitoring arrays including arrays of the Canadian Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program, deployments of the Rapid Western Atlantic Variability Experiment (WAVE), Line W at 39 N, as well as the Rapid-MOC moored array. The latter spans the entire Atlantic basin along 26.5 N. At tropical latitudes we have the Meridional Overturning Variability Experiment (MOVE) array at 16 N, while in the Southern Hemisphere a corresponding basin-spanning transect is being established at the latitude of Cape of Good Hope, complemented by arrays at Drake Passage.

Southwest Washington littoral drift restoration—Beach and nearshore morphological monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Andrew W.; Gelfenbaum, Guy; Ruggiero, Peter; Kaminsky, George M.

2012-01-01

A morphological monitoring program has documented the placement and initial dispersal of beach nourishment material (280,000 m3) placed between the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) North Jetty and North Head, at the southern end of the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington State. A total of 21 topographic surveys and 8 nearshore bathymetric surveys were performed between July 11, 2010, and November 4, 2011. During placement, southerly alongshore transport resulted in movement of nourishment material to the south towards the MCR North Jetty. Moderate wave conditions (significant wave height around 4 m) following the completion of the nourishment resulted in cross-shore sediment transport, with most of the nourishment material transported into the nearshore bars. The nourishment acted as a buffer to the more severe erosion, including dune overtopping and retreat, that was observed at the northern end of the study area throughout the winter. One year after placement of the nourishment, onshore transport and beach recovery were most pronounced within the permit area and to the south toward the MCR North Jetty. This suggests that there is some long-term benefit of the nourishment for reducing erosion rates locally, although the enhanced recovery also could be due to natural gradients in alongshore transport causing net movement of the sediment from north to south. Measurements made during the morphological monitoring program documented the seasonal movement and decay of nearshore sand bars. Low-energy conditions in late summer resulted in onshore bar migration early in the monitoring program. Moderate wave conditions in the autumn resulted in offshore movement of the middle bar and continued onshore migration of the outer bar. High-energy wave conditions early in the winter resulted in strong cross-shore transport and creation of a 3-bar system along portions of the coast. More southerly wave events occurred later in the winter and early spring and coincided with the complete loss of the outer bar and net loss of sediment from the study area. These data suggest that bar decay may be an important mechanism for exporting sediment from Benson Beach north to the Long Beach Peninsula. The measurements presented in this report represent one component of a broader monitoring program designed to track the movement of nourishment material on the beach and shoreface at this location, including continuous video monitoring (Argus), in situu measurements of hydrodynamics, and a physical tracer experiment. Field data from the monitoring program will be used to test numerical models of hydrodynamics and sediment transport and to improve the capability of numerical models to support regional sediment management.

The new Mediterranean background monitoring station of Ersa, Cape Corsica: A long term Observatory component of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dulac, Francois

2013-04-01

The Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx, http://charmex.lsce.ipsl.fr/) is a French initiative supported by the MISTRALS program (Mediterranean Integrated Studies at Regional And Locals Scales, http://www.mistrals-home.org). It aims at a scientific assessment of the present and future state of the atmospheric environment in the Mediterranean Basin, and of its impacts on the regional climate, air quality, and marine biogeochemistry. The major stake is an understanding of the future of the Mediterranean region in a context of strong regional anthropogenic and climatic pressures. The target of ChArMEx is short-lived particulate and gaseous tropospheric trace species which are the cause of poor air quality events, have two-way interactions with climate, or impact the marine biogeochemistry. In order to fulfill these objectives, important efforts have been put in 2012 in order to implement the infrastructure and instrumentation for a fully equipped background monitoring station at Ersa, Cape Corsica, a key location at the crossroads of dusty southerly air masses and polluted outflows from the European continent. The observations at this station began in June 2012 (in the context of the EMEP / ACTRIS / PEGASOS / ChArMEx campaigns). A broad spectrum of aerosol properties is also measured at the station, from the chemical composition (off-line daily filter sampling in PM2.5/PM10, on-line Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor), ground optical properties (extinction/absorption/light scattering coeff. with 1-? CAPS PMex monitor, 7-? Aethalometer, 3-? Nephelometer), integrated and vertically resolved optical properties (4-? Cimel sunphotometer and LIDAR, respective), size distribution properties (N-AIS, SMPS, APS, and OPS instruments), mass (PM1/PM10 by TEOM/TEOM-FDMS), hygroscopicity (CCN), as well as total insoluble deposition. So far, real-time measurement of reactive gases (O3, CO, NO, NO2), and off-line VOC measurements (cylinders, cartridges) are also performed. A Kipp and Zonen system for monitoring direct and diffuse broadband radiative fluxes will also be in operation soon, as well as an ICOS/RAMCES CO2 and CH4 monitoring instrument. Through this unprecedented effort and with the support from ChArMEx, ADEME, and CORSiCA programs (http://www.obs-mip.fr/corsica), this observatory represents so far the most achieved French atmospheric station having the best set of instruments for measuring in-situ reactive gases and aerosols. It stands out as the station of not one laboratory but of a large number (see list of co-authors). It provides "real time" information useful to the local air quality network (Qualitair Corse, http://www.qualitaircorse.org/) concerning EU regulated parameters (O3, PMx). This station aims providing quality controlled climatically relevant gas/aerosol database following the recommendations of the EU-FP7 ACTRIS infrastructure, EMEP and WMO-GAW programs. Atmospheric datasets are currently available at the MISTRALS database (http://mistrals.sedoo.fr/ChArMEx/) and soon at the ACTRIS & GAW databases. After a brief presentation of the Cape Corsica Station (location, climatology, instrumental settings ...), we present here the first months of aerosols properties (optical / chemical / particle size) obtained at this station. Acknowledgements: the station is mainly supported by ADEME, CNRS-INSU, CEA, CTC, EMD, FEDER, and Météo-France.

Elk Monitoring Protocol for Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Version 1.0

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Kurt J.; Griffin, Paul C.; Boetsch, John R.; Cole, Carla

2011-01-01

Maintaining elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) herds that frequent Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (NHP) is central to the park’s purpose of preserving the historic, cultural, scenic, and natural resources. Elk were critical to sustaining the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition by providing food and clothing over the winter of 1805-1806. Today, elk viewing opportunities in the park and surrounding region generate broad appeal with the visiting public, which number over 250,000 per year at the Fort Clatsop visitor center. This protocol describes procedures for monitoring trends in the use of the Fort Clatsop area by Roosevelt elk. Specific objectives of elk monitoring in Lewis and Clark NHP are to measure the relative use and proportion of area used by elk during winter in the Fort Clatsop Unit of the park, and the rate at which elk are sighted from roads in and around the park. Relative use and the proportion of area used by elk are determined from elk fecal pellet surveys conducted every other year in the Fort Clatsop park unit. Pairs of observers visit a systematic array of permanent plots in the fall to clear them of elk fecal pellets, and return to the plots in late winter to count elk fecal pellets that have accumulated during winter. Half of the subplots are counted by two independent observers, which allows for the estimation of relative use and proportion of area occupied by elk with analyses of detection biases that account for unseen elk pellet groups. Standardized road surveys are conducted in and near the Fort Clatsop park unit three or four times monthly during alternate months. Data from road surveys are used to quantify the rate that park visitors would be expected to see elk, when driving the selected set of routes. The monitoring protocol is based on three field seasons of development and testing. The protocol narrative describes the background, rationale, sampling design, field methods, analytical methods, data management, reporting, personnel requirements, and operational requirements for elk monitoring in Lewis and Clark NHP. The sampling design reflects tradeoffs between statistical and ecological considerations, safety, and current budget considerations. The protocol provides adequate power to detect a doubling or halving of elk use in the Fort Clatsop unit and surrounding areas within 15 years. Step-by-step guidance for planning and completing the monitoring tasks are in the attached standard operating procedures (SOPs). Information on the status and trends of elk use in Lewis and Clark NHP will allow park managers to assess the effects on elk of restoration programs within the park, build community partnerships, and identify potential linkages between regional land use changes and elk use of the Park. Lewis and Clark NHP has an active ecological restoration program that aims to recreate, where possible, ecological conditions that Lewis and Clark encountered. The restoration program includes an extensive exotic plant removal program, wetland restoration, and silvicultural treatments that will hasten development of late-seral conditions in recently acquired forest lands of the Fort Clatsop park unit. In the future, monitoring results can be used to test for spatial associations between ecological restoration treatments and relative use by elk. The park also plans to feature results from elk monitoring prominently in its educational outreach activities to help interpret the historical and current ecological context of the Lewis and Clark story, and engender public support for the park mission and management activities. Although NPS does not manage non-park lands, information about trends in the distribution of elk use will be valuable in public outreach and discussions with other partnering agencies and regional private landowners.

Cost considerations for long-term ecological monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caughlan, L.; Oakley, K.L.

2001-01-01

For an ecological monitoring program to be successful over the long-term, the perceived benefits of the information must justify the cost. Financial limitations will always restrict the scope of a monitoring program, hence the program's focus must be carefully prioritized. Clearly identifying the costs and benefits of a program will assist in this prioritization process, but this is easier said than done. Frequently, the true costs of monitoring are not recognized and are, therefore, underestimated. Benefits are rarely evaluated, because they are difficult to quantify. The intent of this review is to assist the designers and managers of long-term ecological monitoring programs by providing a general framework for building and operating a cost-effective program. Previous considerations of monitoring costs have focused on sampling design optimization. We present cost considerations of monitoring in a broader context. We explore monitoring costs, including both budgetary costs--what dollars are spent on--and economic costs, which include opportunity costs. Often, the largest portion of a monitoring program budget is spent on data collection, and other, critical aspects of the program, such as scientific oversight, training, data management, quality assurance, and reporting, are neglected. Recognizing and budgeting for all program costs is therefore a key factor in a program's longevity. The close relationship between statistical issues and cost is discussed, highlighting the importance of sampling design, replication and power, and comparing the costs of alternative designs through pilot studies and simulation modeling. A monitoring program development process that includes explicit checkpoints for considering costs is presented. The first checkpoint occur during the setting of objectives and during sampling design optimization. The last checkpoint occurs once the basic shape of the program is known, and the costs and benefits, or alternatively the cost-effectiveness, of each program element can be evaluated. Moving into the implementation phase without careful evaluation of costs and benefits is risky because if costs are later found to exceed benefits, the program will fail. The costs of development, which can be quite high, will have been largely wasted. Realistic expectations of costs and benefits will help ensure that monitoring programs survive the early, turbulent stages of development and the challenges posed by fluctuating budgets during implementation.

A care improvement program acting as a powerful learning environment to support nursing students learning facilitation competencies.

PubMed

Jukema, Jan S; Harps-Timmerman, Annelies; Stoopendaal, Annemiek; Smits, Carolien H M

2015-11-01

Change management is an important area of training in undergraduate nursing education. Successful change management in healthcare aimed at improving practices requires facilitation skills that support teams in attaining the desired change. Developing facilitation skills in nursing students requires formal educational support. A Dutch Regional Care Improvement Program based on a nationwide format of change management in healthcare was designed to act as a Powerful Learning Environment for nursing students developing competencies in facilitating change. This article has two aims: to provide comprehensive insight into the program components and to describe students' learning experiences in developing their facilitation skills. This Dutch Regional Care Improvement Program considers three aspects of a Powerful Learning Environment: self-regulated learning; problem-based learning; and complex, realistic and challenging learning tasks. These three aspects were operationalised in five distinct areas of facilitation: increasing awareness of the need for change; leadership and project management; relationship building and communication; importance of the local context; and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Over a period of 18 months, 42 nursing students, supported by trained lecturer-coaches, took part in nine improvement teams in our Regional Care Improvement Program, executing activities in all five areas of facilitation. Based on the students' experiences, we propose refinements to various components of this program, aimed at strengthenin the learning environment. There is a need for further detailed empirical research to study the impact this kind of learning environment has on students developing facilitation competencies in healthcare improvement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 246.19 - Management evaluation and monitoring reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN Monitoring and Review § 246.19 Management evaluation and monitoring reviews... reports, the development of corrective action plans to resolve Program deficiencies, the monitoring of the...

7 CFR 246.19 - Management evaluation and monitoring reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN Monitoring and Review § 246.19 Management evaluation and monitoring reviews... reports, the development of corrective action plans to resolve Program deficiencies, the monitoring of the...

7 CFR 246.19 - Management evaluation and monitoring reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN Monitoring and Review § 246.19 Management evaluation and monitoring reviews... reports, the development of corrective action plans to resolve Program deficiencies, the monitoring of the...

7 CFR 246.19 - Management evaluation and monitoring reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN Monitoring and Review § 246.19 Management evaluation and monitoring reviews... reports, the development of corrective action plans to resolve Program deficiencies, the monitoring of the...

7 CFR 246.19 - Management evaluation and monitoring reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN Monitoring and Review § 246.19 Management evaluation and monitoring reviews... reports, the development of corrective action plans to resolve Program deficiencies, the monitoring of the...

45 CFR 2543.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Property Standards § 2543.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

15 CFR 14.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-PROFIT, AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 14.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

14 CFR 1260.151 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Records § 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subcontract, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subcontracts to ensure subcontractors have met the audit requirements as delineated...

14 CFR 1260.151 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Records § 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subcontract, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subcontracts to ensure subcontractors have met the audit requirements as delineated...

15 CFR 14.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...-PROFIT, AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 14.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

45 CFR 2543.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Property Standards § 2543.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

14 CFR 1260.151 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Records § 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subcontract, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subcontracts to ensure subcontractors have met the audit requirements as delineated...

45 CFR 2543.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Property Standards § 2543.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

45 CFR 2543.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Property Standards § 2543.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

15 CFR 14.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-PROFIT, AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 14.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

15 CFR 14.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-PROFIT, AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 14.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to...

Assessing the Value of Enhancing AirNow Data with NASA Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasch, A. N.; Burke, B.; Huang, S.; Dye, T.; Dawes, S. S.; DeWinter, J. L.; Zahn, P. H.; Haderman, M.; Szykman, J.; White, J. E.; Dickerson, P.; van Donkelaar, A.; Martin, R.

2013-12-01

We will describe the methodology and findings from a study that addressed how satellite-enhanced air quality information provided through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AirNow Satellite Data Processor (ASDP) program could contribute to greater socioeconomic benefits. This study was funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and conducted, in partnership with the EPA, by the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany (CTG) and Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI). AirNow is the national repository of real-time air quality data and forecasts for the United States. While mainly a public outreach and awareness tool, AirNow relies on the same network of ground-based air quality monitors that is used by federal, state, local, and tribal governments throughout the United States. Extensive as the monitoring network is, considerable gaps exist in certain parts of the United States. Even areas with monitors considered adequate for regulatory purposes can lack information needed to resolve localized air quality issues or give forecasters sufficient confidence about the potential air quality impact of specific events. Monitors are expensive to deploy and maintain; thus, EPA is seeking other ways to improve coverage and detail. Satellite-estimated data can provide information for many places where ground monitors do not exist, and supplement ground monitors, providing additional information for use in analysis and forecasting. ASDP uses satellite-derived estimates for fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) and provides coverage for a small window of time during the day. As satellite capabilities improve in terms of different types of sensors and increased coverage throughout the day, the ASDP program is prepared to extend its scope to additional pollutants and provide greater enhancements to the ground-based networks. In this study, CTG assessed the socioeconomic benefits of air quality data at a community level through three case studies in the Denver, Atlanta, and Kansas City regions by interviewing people at EPA regional offices, state environmental and public health agencies, local public health authorities, regional planning and non-profit outreach organizations, and universities. The interviews focused on the existing uses of air quality information and the potential value of incorporating NASA satellite-enhanced AirNow data to support and enhance the missions of the organizations interviewed. STI analyzed the economic benefit of using satellite data to fill in gaps in the current air quality monitoring network used to provide information to the public. This presentation will discuss how the findings can be used to improve estimation of the socioeconomic benefits derived from Earth observation science in policy and management decisions.

Physical Oceanography of the Caribbean Sea: Some Recent Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, D.; Johns, W. E.

2001-12-01

Recent oceanographic observations in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (the Intra-Americas Sea) have contributed to our understanding of IAS circulation, the dynamics forcing the circulation, and the role of the IAS in hemispheric ocean processes. Specifically, recent results from several programs will be presented and discussed: The Windward Islands Passages Program, designed to measure upper ocean transport and water mass properties of the exchange between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is entering its tenth year of observations. Mean transport estimates based on 10 to 20 sections now exist for the major passages between Trinidad and the Virgin Islands. Approximately 19 of the estimated 32 Sv in the Florida Straits enter through these passages, of which approximately 12 enter south of Dominica, 6 in the Grenada Passage. The Caribbean Inflow Variability Experiment is designed to continuously monitor the transport through the Grenada Passage. Plans are in place to monitor a submarine telephone cable between Grenada and Trinidad to estimate transport; at present several shipboard velocity sections and year-long pressure gauge records are available as part of the program. Dominant low-frequency signals in the cross-passage pressure difference are 30 - 60 days. The NOPP Year of the Ocean Drifting Buoy Program placed over 150 WOCE-style surface drifting buoys in the IAS during 1998 - 2000. Analysis of drifter tracks shows the best picture to date of IAS surface currents, including well-resolved gyres in the SW Caribbean (Panama-Colombia) region. Monitoring of Florida Straits transport via submarine cable is once again active, complemented by quarterly CD and transport cruises. Analyses of historical transport data (Baringer & Larson, 2001) have shown correlations between low frequency transport variability and climate indices (e. g., NAO). Additionally, full-depth velocity profiles across the straits are available weekly from the 38 kHz ADCP mounted on the Explorer of the Seas cruise ship. Availability of these and other observational resources, its semi-enclosed and well-bounded geography, and its significance to downstream North American oceanic and atmospheric conditions make the IAS an excellent region for model development and validation.

Review of present groundwater monitoring programs at the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hershey, R.L.; Gillespie, D.

1993-09-01

Groundwater monitoring at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is conducted to detect the presence of radionuclides produced by underground nuclear testing and to verify the quality and safety of groundwater supplies as required by the State of Nevada and federal regulations, and by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders. Groundwater is monitored at water-supply wells and at other boreholes and wells not specifically designed or located for traditional groundwater monitoring objectives. Different groundwater monitoring programs at the NTS are conducted by several DOE Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV) contractors. Presently, these individual groundwater monitoring programs have not been assessed or administeredmore » under a comprehensive planning approach. Redundancy exists among the programs in both the sampling locations and the constituents analyzed. Also, sampling for certain radionuclides is conducted more frequently than required. The purpose of this report is to review the existing NTS groundwater monitoring programs and make recommendations for modifying the programs so a coordinated, streamlined, and comprehensive monitoring effort may be achieved by DOE/NV. This review will be accomplished in several steps. These include: summarizing the present knowledge of the hydrogeology of the NTS and the potential radionuclide source areas for groundwater contamination; reviewing the existing groundwater monitoring programs at the NTS; examining the rationale for monitoring and the constituents analyzed; reviewing the analytical methods used to quantify tritium activity; discussing monitoring network design criteria; and synthesizing the information presented and making recommendations based on the synthesis. This scope of work was requested by the DOE/NV Hydrologic Resources Management Program (HRMP) and satisfies the 1993 (fiscal year) HRMP Groundwater Monitoring Program Review task.« less

Spatial and temporal Brook Trout density dynamics: Implications for conservation, management, and monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Tyler; Jefferson T. Deweber,; Jason Detar,; Kristine, David; John A. Sweka,

2014-01-01

Many potential stressors to aquatic environments operate over large spatial scales, prompting the need to assess and monitor both site-specific and regional dynamics of fish populations. We used hierarchical Bayesian models to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability in density and capture probability of age-1 and older Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis from three-pass removal data collected at 291 sites over a 37-year time period (1975–2011) in Pennsylvania streams. There was high between-year variability in density, with annual posterior means ranging from 2.1 to 10.2 fish/100 m2; however, there was no significant long-term linear trend. Brook Trout density was positively correlated with elevation and negatively correlated with percent developed land use in the network catchment. Probability of capture did not vary substantially across sites or years but was negatively correlated with mean stream width. Because of the low spatiotemporal variation in capture probability and a strong correlation between first-pass CPUE (catch/min) and three-pass removal density estimates, the use of an abundance index based on first-pass CPUE could represent a cost-effective alternative to conducting multiple-pass removal sampling for some Brook Trout monitoring and assessment objectives. Single-pass indices may be particularly relevant for monitoring objectives that do not require precise site-specific estimates, such as regional monitoring programs that are designed to detect long-term linear trends in density.

Watershed monitoring and modelling and USA regulatory compliance.

PubMed

Turner, B G; Boner, M C

2004-01-01

The aim of the Columbus program was to implement a comprehensive watershed monitoring-network including water chemistry, aquatic biology and alternative sensors to establish water environment health and methods for determining future restoration progress and early warning for protection of drinking water supplies. The program was implemented to comply with USA regulatory requirements including Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) rules of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) rules under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The USEPA Office of Research and Development and the Water Environment Research Foundation provided quality assurance oversight. The results obtained demonstrated that significant wet weather data is necessary to establish relationships between land use, water chemistry, aquatic biology and sensor data. These measurements and relationships formed the basis for calibrating the US EPA BASINS Model, prioritizing watershed health and determination of compliance with water quality standards. Conclusions specify priorities of cost-effective drainage system controls that attenuate stormwater flows and capture flushed pollutants. A network of permanent long-term real-time monitoring using combination of continuous sensor measurements, water column sampling and aquatic biology surveys and a regional organization is prescribed to protect drinking water supplies and measure progress towards water quality targets.

Nutrition Leadership Development: Capacity-Building Initiatives in Iran and the Middle-East Region Since 2009

PubMed Central

Davari, Azadeh; Rashidi, Arash; Baartmans, Jacques Antonius

2015-01-01

Personal and organizational performance is determined by commitment and both technical and general competencies, including leadership skills. Academia, however, mainly targets technical aspects in its curricular programs. On the other hand, the inter-disciplinary and multi-sector nature of Nutrition necessitates high levels of collaboration between stakeholders. Leadership development is therefore required in Nutrition. This paper describes the endeavor made in Iran and the Middle-East region, aiming at building leadership capacity among nutrition professionals. The empowered human resource is expected to facilitate nutrition security at the national and regional levels. Since 2007, the development process of the initiative has begun through research, bench marking, and consultation. The “learning organizations,” “leadership from inside-out,” and “transformational leadership” frameworks have been employed as underpinning theories. Main topics have been self-awareness, effective communication, shared visioning, trust building, creativity, and motivating. Outbound team-building activities and coaching have also been included. The first workshop of the Iranian Food and Nutrition Leadership Program was held in 2009 in Tehran. The experience expanded to the region as the Middle-East Nutrition Leadership Program (MENLP). The Ph.D. Nutrition programs (at four leading Universities) and Iranian Nutrition Society have been taken as other opportunity windows to develop leadership competencies. Biannual Iranian nutrition congresses have been used as the main media for advocacy purposes. High-satisfaction rates obtained following each training activity. In short, the initiative on “nutrition leadership development” has received growing investment and positive feedback in Iran. Continuous improvement of the initiative, establishment of active alumni networks, building MENLP regional platform, and integrating a monitoring and evaluation system are required to increase the investment returns. PMID:26284232

Closing the Knowledge Gap: Effects of Land Use Conversion on Belowground Carbon near the 100th Meridian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldron, S. E.; Phillips, R. L.; Dell, R.; Suddick, E. C.

2012-12-01

Native prairie of the northern Great Plains near the 100th meridian is currently under land use conversion pressure due to high commodity prices. From 2002 to 2007, approximately 303,515 hectares of prairie were converted to crop production in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) from Montana to the Dakotas. The spatiotemporal effects of land-use conversion on soil organic matter are still unclear for the PPR. Effects will vary with management, soil properties and time, making regional experiments and simulation modeling necessary. Grassland conservationists are interested in soil carbon data and soil carbon simulation models to inform potential voluntary carbon credit programs. These programs require quantification of changes in soil carbon associated with land-use conversion and management. We addressed this issue by 1) designing a regional-scale experiment, 2) collecting and analyzing soil data, and 3) interviewing producers about land management practices, as required for regional, process-based biogeochemical models. We selected farms at random within a 29,000 km2 area of interest and measured soil properties at multiple depths for native prairie and adjacent annual crop fields. The cores were processed at six different depths (between 0 and 100 cm) for bulk density, pH, texture, total carbon, inorganic carbon, and total nitrogen. We found that the largest difference in soil organic carbon occurred at the 0-10 cm depth, but the magnitude of the effect of land use varied with soil properties and land management. Results from this project, coupled with regional model simulations (Denitrification-Decomposition, DNDC) represent the baseline data needed for future voluntary carbon credit programs and long-term carbon monitoring networks. Enrollment in such programs could help ranchers and farmers realize a new income stream from maintaining their native prairie and the carbon stored beneath it.

Nutrition Leadership Development: Capacity-Building Initiatives in Iran and the Middle-East Region Since 2009.

PubMed

Davari, Azadeh; Rashidi, Arash; Baartmans, Jacques Antonius

2015-01-01

Personal and organizational performance is determined by commitment and both technical and general competencies, including leadership skills. Academia, however, mainly targets technical aspects in its curricular programs. On the other hand, the inter-disciplinary and multi-sector nature of Nutrition necessitates high levels of collaboration between stakeholders. Leadership development is therefore required in Nutrition. This paper describes the endeavor made in Iran and the Middle-East region, aiming at building leadership capacity among nutrition professionals. The empowered human resource is expected to facilitate nutrition security at the national and regional levels. Since 2007, the development process of the initiative has begun through research, bench marking, and consultation. The "learning organizations," "leadership from inside-out," and "transformational leadership" frameworks have been employed as underpinning theories. Main topics have been self-awareness, effective communication, shared visioning, trust building, creativity, and motivating. Outbound team-building activities and coaching have also been included. The first workshop of the Iranian Food and Nutrition Leadership Program was held in 2009 in Tehran. The experience expanded to the region as the Middle-East Nutrition Leadership Program (MENLP). The Ph.D. Nutrition programs (at four leading Universities) and Iranian Nutrition Society have been taken as other opportunity windows to develop leadership competencies. Biannual Iranian nutrition congresses have been used as the main media for advocacy purposes. High-satisfaction rates obtained following each training activity. In short, the initiative on "nutrition leadership development" has received growing investment and positive feedback in Iran. Continuous improvement of the initiative, establishment of active alumni networks, building MENLP regional platform, and integrating a monitoring and evaluation system are required to increase the investment returns.

Inter-observer agreement of a multi-parameter campsite monitoring program on the Dixie National Forest, Utah

Treesearch

Nicholas J. Glidden; Martha E. Lee

2007-01-01

Precision is crucial to campsite monitoring programs. Yet, little empirical research has ever been published on the level of precision of this type of monitoring programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of agreement between observers of campsite impacts using a multi-parameter campsite monitoring program. Thirteen trained observers assessed 16...

An overview of a landbird monitoring program at Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

Treesearch

C. John Ralph; Margaret J. Widdowson; Robert I. Frey; Pablo A. Herrera; Brian P. O' Donnell

2005-01-01

Since 1994, the Tortuguero Integrated Bird Monitoring Program has been monitoring birds in a coastal lowland rain forest of northeast Costa Rica. The Program has combined the use of area searches, constanteffort mist netting, and migration counts into a longterm landbird monitoring and training program following the recommendations of the Partners In Flight &ndash...

28 CFR 70.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 70.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients must monitor subawards...

29 CFR 95.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 95.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to ensure subrecipients have met the audit...

29 CFR 95.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 95.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to ensure subrecipients have met the audit...

29 CFR 95.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 95.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to ensure subrecipients have met the audit...

22 CFR 226.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Reports and Records § 226.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor...

22 CFR 226.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Reports and Records § 226.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor...

29 CFR 95.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 95.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subawards to ensure subrecipients have met the audit...

22 CFR 226.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Reports and Records § 226.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor...

28 CFR 70.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 70.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients must monitor subawards...

28 CFR 70.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 70.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients must monitor subawards...

28 CFR 70.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Reports and Records § 70.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients must monitor subawards...

14 CFR § 1260.151 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Records § 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subcontract, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subcontracts to ensure subcontractors have met the audit requirements as delineated...

22 CFR 226.51 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Reports and Records § 226.51 Monitoring and reporting program performance. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subaward, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor...

Central Alaska Network vital signs monitoring plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacCluskie, Margaret C.; Oakley, Karen L.; McDonald, Trent; Wilder, Doug

2005-01-01

Denali National Park and Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve have been organized into the Central Alaska Network (CAKN) for the purposes of carrying out ecological monitoring activities under the National Park Services’ Vital Signs Monitoring program. The Phase III Report is the initial draft of the Vital Signs Monitoring Plan for the Central Alaska Network. It includes updated material from the Phase I and II documents. This report, and draft protocols for 11 of the network’s Vital Signs, were peer reviewed early in 2005. Review comments were incorporated into the document bringing the network to the final stage of having a Vital Signs Monitoring Plan. Implementation of the program will formally begin in FY 2006. The broad goals of the CAKN monitoring program are to: (1) better understand the dynamic nature and condition of park ecosystems; and (2) provide reference points for comparisons with other, altered environments. The focus of the CAKN program will be to monitor ecosystems in order to detect change in ecological components and in the relationships among the components. Water quality monitoring is fully integrated within the CAKN monitoring program. A monitoring program for lentic (non-moving water) has been determined, and the program for lotic systems (moving water) is under development.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B permit application [of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 11, Chapter D, Appendix D4--Chapter D, Appendix D17: Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-03-01

This volume contains appendices D4 through D17 which cover the following: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site environmental report; ecological monitoring program at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; site characterization; regional and site geology and hydrology; general geology; dissolution features; ground water hydrology; typical carbon sorption bed efficiency; VOC monitoring plan for bin-room tests; chemical compatibility analysis of waste forms and container materials; probable maximum precipitation; WHIP supplementary roof support system room 1, panel 1; and corrosion risk assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ``humid`` test bins.

24 CFR 266.520 - Program monitoring and compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Project Management and Servicing § 266.520 Program monitoring and compliance. HUD will monitor the...

24 CFR 266.520 - Program monitoring and compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Project Management and Servicing § 266.520 Program monitoring and compliance. HUD will monitor the...

24 CFR 266.520 - Program monitoring and compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Project Management and Servicing § 266.520 Program monitoring and compliance. HUD will monitor the...

24 CFR 266.520 - Program monitoring and compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Project Management and Servicing § 266.520 Program monitoring and compliance. HUD will monitor the...

24 CFR 266.520 - Program monitoring and compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Project Management and Servicing § 266.520 Program monitoring and compliance. HUD will monitor the...

Geothermal environmental studies, Heber Region, Imperial Valley, California. Environmental baseline data acquisition. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-02-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been studying the feasibility of a Low Salinity Hydrothermal Demonstration Plant as part of its Geothermal Energy Program. The Heber area of the Imperial Valley was selected as one of the candidate geothermal reservoirs. Documentation of the environmental conditions presently existing in the Heber area is required for assessment of environmental impacts of future development. An environmental baseline data acquisition program to compile available data on the environment of the Heber area is reported. The program included a review of pertinent existing literature, interviews with academic, governmental and private entities, combined with fieldmore » investigations and meteorological monitoring to collect primary data. Results of the data acquisition program are compiled in terms of three elements: the physical, the biological and socioeconomic settings.« less

Niagara Falls Storage Site environmental report for calendar year 1992, 1397 Pletcher Road, Lewiston, New York. Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-05-01

This report describes the environmental surveillance program at the Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) and provides the results for 1992. From 1944 to the present, the primary use of NFSS has been storage of radioactive residues produced as a by-product of uranium production. All onsite areas of residual radioactivity above guidelines have been remediated. Materials generated during remediation are stored onsite in the 4-ha (10-acre) waste containment structure (WCS). The WCS is a clay-lined, clay-capped, and grass-covered storage pile. The environmental surveillance program at NFSS includes sampling networks for radon concentrations in air; external gamma radiation exposure; and total uraniummore » and radium-226 concentrations in surface water, sediments, and groundwater. Several chemical parameters, including seven metals, are also routinely measured in groundwater. This surveillance program assists in fulfilling the DOE policy of measuring and monitoring effluents from DOE activities and calculating hypothetical doses. Monitoring results are compared with applicable Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) standards, DOE derived concentration guides (DCGs), dose limits, and other DOE requirements. Results of environmental monitoring during 1992 indicate that levels of the parameters measured were in compliance with all but one requirement: Concentrations of iron and manganese in groundwater were above NYSDEC groundwater quality standards. However, these elements occur naturally in the soils and groundwater associated with this region. In 1992 there were no environmental occurrences or reportable quantity releases.« less

A Framework for Long-term Ecological Monitoring in Olympic National Park: Prototype for the Coniferous Forest Biome

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Kurt; Woodward, Andrea; Schreiner, Ed

2003-01-01

This report is the result of a five-year collaboration between scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, and the natural resources staff of Olympic National Park to develop a comprehensive strategy for monitoring natural resources of Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park is the National Park Serviceʼs prototype monitoring park, representing parks in the coniferous forest biome. Under the umbrella of the National Park Serviceʼs prototype parks program, U.S. Geological Survey and Olympic National Park staffs are obligated to:develop strategies and designs for monitoring the long-term health and integrity of national park ecosystems with a significant coniferous forest component.design exportable monitoring protocols that can be used by other parks within the coniferous forest biome (i.e., parks having similar environments), andcreate a demonstration area and ʻcenter of excellenceʼ for assisting other parks in developing ecological monitoring programs.Olympic National Park is part of the North Coast and Cascades Network, a network of seven Pacific Northwestern park units created recently by the National Park Serviceʼs Inventory and Monitoring Program to extend the monitoring of ʻvital signsʼ of park health to all National Park Service units. It is our intent and hope that the monitoring strategies and conceptual models described here will meet the overall purpose of the prototype parks monitoring program in proving useful not only to Olympic National Park, but also to parks within the North Coast and Cascades Network and elsewhere. Part I contains the conceptual design and sampling framework for the prototype long-term monitoring program in Olympic National Park. In this section, we explore key elements of monitoring design that help to ensure the spatial, ecological, and temporal integration of monitoring program elements and discuss approaches used to design an ecosystem-based monitoring program. Basic monitoring components include ecosystem drivers, (e.g., climate, atmospheric inputs, human pressures), indicators of ecosystem integrity (e.g., biogeochemical indicators), known threats (e.g., impacts of introduced mountain goats), and focal or ʻkeyʼ species (e.g., rare or listed species, Roosevelt elk). Monitoring system drivers and key indicators of ecosystem integrity provide the long-term baseline needed to judge what constitutes ʻunnaturalʼ variation in park resources and provide the earliest possible warning of unacceptable change. Monitoring effects of known threats and the status of focal species will provide information useful to park managers for dealing with current park issues. In Part I we describe the process of identifying potential indicators of ecological condition and present conceptual models of park ecosystems. In addition we report results from several workshops held in conjunction with Olympic National Park aimed at identifying potential indicators of change in the parkʼs ecosystem. First, we describe the responses of Olympic National Park staff to the generic question, “What is the most important resource to monitor in Olympic National Park and why?” followed by the responses from resource and land managers from areas adjoining the park. We also catalogue the responses of various expert groups that we asked to help identify the most appropriate system drivers and indicators of change in the Olympic National Park ecosystems. Results of the workshops provided the justification for selecting basic indicators of ecosystem integrity, effects of current threats to park resources, and focal resources of parks to detect both the currently evident and unforeseeable changes in park resources. We conclude Part I by exploring several generic statistical issues relevant to monitoring natural resources in Olympic National Park. Specifically we discuss trade-offs associated with sampling extensively versus sampling intensively in smaller geographic regions and describe a conceptual framework to guide development of a generic sampling frame for monitoring. We recommend partitioning Olympic National Park into three zones of decreasing accessibility to maximize monitoring efficiency. We present examples of how the generic sampling frame could be used to help ensure spatial integration of individual monitoring projects. Part II of the report is a record of the potential monitoring questions and indicators identified to date in our workshops. The presentation is organized according to the major system drivers, components, and processes identified in the intermediate-level working model of the Olympic National Park ecosystem. For each component of the park system, we develop the need and justification for monitoring, articulate park management issues, and describe key resources and ecosystem functions. We also present a pictorial conceptual model of each ecological subsystem, identify monitoring questions, and list potential indicators for each monitoring question. We conclude each section by identifying linkages of indicators to other ecological subsystems in our general ecosystem model, spatial and temporal contexts for monitoring (where and how often to monitor), and research and development needs. Part II represents the most current detailed listing of potential indicators—the material for subsequent discussions of monitoring priorities and selection of indicators for protocol development.Collectively, the sections of this report contain a comprehensive list of the important monitoring questions and potential indicators as well as recommendations for designing an integrated monitoring program. In Part I, Chapter 6 we provide recommendations on how to proceed with the important next steps in the design process: establishing priorities among the many possible monitoring questions and indicators, and beginning to research and design effective long-term monitoring protocols.

The role of population monitoring in the management of North American waterfowl

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, J.D.; Williams, B.K.; Johnson, F.A.

2000-01-01

Despite the effort and expense devoted to large-scale monitoring programs, few existing programs have been designed with specific objectives in mind and few permit strong inferences about the dynamics of monitored systems. The waterfowl population monitoring programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service and state and provincial agencies provide a nice example with respect to program objectives, design and implementation. The May Breeding Grounds Survey provides an estimate of system state (population size) that serves two primary purposes in the adaptive management process: identifying the appropriate time-specific management actions and updating the information state (model weights) by providing a basis for evaluating predictions of competing models. Other waterfowl monitoring programs (e.g., banding program, hunter questionnaire survey, parts collection survey, winter survey) provide estimates of vital rates (rates of survival, reproduction and movement) associated with system dynamics and variables associated with management objectives (e.g., harvest). The reliability of estimates resulting from monitoring programs depends strongly on whether considerations about spatial variation and detection probability have been adequately incorporated into program design and implementation. Certain waterfowl surveys again provide nice examples of monitoring programs that incorporate these considerations.

Influence of natural factors on the quality of midwestern streams and rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Porter, Stephen D.; Harris, Mitchell A.; Kalkhoff, Stephen J.

2001-01-01

Streams flowing through cropland in the Midwestern Corn Belt differ considerably in their chemical and ecological characteristics, even though agricultural land use is highly intensive throughout the entire region. These differences likely are attributable to differences in riparian vegetation, soil properties, and hydrology. This conclusion is based on results from a study of the upper Midwest region conducted during seasonally low-flow conditions in August 1997 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This report summarizes significant results from the study and presents some implications for the design and interpretation of water-quality monitoring and assessment studies based on these results.

Coordinating for Arctic Conservation: Implementing Integrated Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring, Data Management and Reporting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, M.; Svoboda, M.

2012-12-01

Arctic ecosystems and the biodiversity they support are experiencing growing pressure from various stressors (e.g. development, climate change, contaminants, etc.) while established research and monitoring programs remain largely uncoordinated, lacking the ability to effectively monitor, understand and report on biodiversity trends at the circumpolar scale. The maintenance of healthy arctic ecosystems is a global imperative as the Arctic plays a critical role in the Earth's physical, chemical and biological balance. A coordinated and comprehensive effort for monitoring arctic ecosystems is needed to facilitate effective and timely conservation and adaptation actions. The Arctic's size and complexity represents a significant challenge towards detecting and attributing important biodiversity trends. This demands a scaled, pan-arctic, ecosystem-based approach that not only identifies trends in biodiversity, but also identifies underlying causes. It is critical that this information be made available to generate effective strategies for adapting to changes now taking place in the Arctic—a process that ultimately depends on rigorous, integrated, and efficient monitoring programs that have the power to detect change within a "management" time frame. To meet these challenges and in response to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment's recommendation to expand and enhance arctic biodiversity monitoring, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group of the Arctic Council launched the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP). The CBMP is led by Environment Canada on behalf of Canada and the Arctic Council. The CBMP is working with over 60 global partners to expand, integrate and enhance existing arctic biodiversity research and monitoring efforts to facilitate more rapid detection, communication and response to significant trends and pressures. Towards this end, the CBMP has established three Expert Monitoring Groups representing major Arctic themes (Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial). Each group, representing a diversity of disciplines, is tasked with developing and implementing pan-arctic integrated biodiversity monitoring plans for the Arctic's ecosystems. To facilitate effective reporting and data management, the CBMP is developing a suite of indices and indicators and a web-based data portal that will be used to report on the current state of arctic biodiversity at various scales and levels of detail to suit a wide range of audiences (e.g. local Arctic communities, regional and national governments and the Convention on Biological Diversity). The current and planned CBMP biodiversity monitoring underpins these indicators and indices. The presentation will highlight the CBMP approach and provide some examples of how integrated monitoring, data management and reporting are leading to more informed decision-making.

Assessing the effectiveness of Landsat 8 chlorophyll a retrieval algorithms for regional freshwater monitoring.

PubMed

Boucher, Jonah; Weathers, Kathleen C; Norouzi, Hamid; Steele, Bethel

2018-06-01

Predicting algal blooms has become a priority for scientists, municipalities, businesses, and citizens. Remote sensing offers solutions to the spatial and temporal challenges facing existing lake research and monitoring programs that rely primarily on high-investment, in situ measurements. Techniques to remotely measure chlorophyll a (chl a) as a proxy for algal biomass have been limited to specific large water bodies in particular seasons and narrow chl a ranges. Thus, a first step toward prediction of algal blooms is generating regionally robust algorithms using in situ and remote sensing data. This study explores the relationship between in-lake measured chl a data from Maine and New Hampshire, USA lakes and remotely sensed chl a retrieval algorithm outputs. Landsat 8 images were obtained and then processed after required atmospheric and radiometric corrections. Six previously developed algorithms were tested on a regional scale on 11 scenes from 2013 to 2015 covering 192 lakes. The best performing algorithm across data from both states had a 0.16 correlation coefficient (R 2 ) and P ≤ 0.05 when Landsat 8 images within 5 d, and improved to R 2 of 0.25 when data from Maine only were used. The strength of the correlation varied with the specificity of the time window in relation to the in-situ sampling date, explaining up to 27% of the variation in the data across several scenes. Two previously published algorithms using Landsat 8's Bands 1-4 were best correlated with chl a, and for particular late-summer scenes, they accounted for up to 69% of the variation in in-situ measurements. A sensitivity analysis revealed that a longer time difference between in situ measurements and the satellite image increased uncertainty in the models, and an effect of the time of year on several indices was demonstrated. A regional model based on the best performing remote sensing algorithm was developed and was validated using independent in situ measurements and satellite images. These results suggest that, despite challenges including seasonal effects and low chl a thresholds, remote sensing could be an effective and accessible regional-scale tool for chl a monitoring programs in lakes. © 2018 The Authors. Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Ecological Society of America.

Development of a Computerized Data Base to Monitor Wheeled Vehicle Corrosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-10-01

the region which corrodes. This potential difference , or voltage of these little batteries or cells, is due to the difference in the oxygen...availability at the point of attack. Differential aeration cells occur at all places where there is a difference in the availability of oxygen and can only...program is actually an evaluation of the various corrosion prevention systems and methods which were applied to the wheeled vehicles when they were

Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Condition across Landscape Regions-A multi-metric Approach. Part A. Ecological Integrity Assessment Overview and Field Study in Michigan and Indiana. and Part B. Ecological Integrity Assessment Protocols for Rapid Field Methods (L2)

EPA Science Inventory

Many ecosystem monitoring and assessment programs are expanding their focus to address changes in ecosystem condition. This is a challenging task, given the complexity of ecosystems and the changes they undergo in response to a variety of human activities and landscape alteration...

Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) Annual Technical Report IV: March 2010-February 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

of monitoring may be necessary to fully characterize and model the impact of major climatic events (e.g., tropical cyclones, major droughts ) and...stressors (past, present, and future) at local and regional scales; take account of extreme climatic events (e.g., hurricanes, droughts ); and integrate...the longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris), savannas, and pocosins (shrub bog) that dominate MCBCL’s terrestrial environments. Variation in the biota and

Selecting the optimum plot size for a California design-based stream and wetland mapping program.

PubMed

Lackey, Leila G; Stein, Eric D

2014-04-01

Accurate estimates of the extent and distribution of wetlands and streams are the foundation of wetland monitoring, management, restoration, and regulatory programs. Traditionally, these estimates have relied on comprehensive mapping. However, this approach is prohibitively resource-intensive over large areas, making it both impractical and statistically unreliable. Probabilistic (design-based) approaches to evaluating status and trends provide a more cost-effective alternative because, compared with comprehensive mapping, overall extent is inferred from mapping a statistically representative, randomly selected subset of the target area. In this type of design, the size of sample plots has a significant impact on program costs and on statistical precision and accuracy; however, no consensus exists on the appropriate plot size for remote monitoring of stream and wetland extent. This study utilized simulated sampling to assess the performance of four plot sizes (1, 4, 9, and 16 km(2)) for three geographic regions of California. Simulation results showed smaller plot sizes (1 and 4 km(2)) were most efficient for achieving desired levels of statistical accuracy and precision. However, larger plot sizes were more likely to contain rare and spatially limited wetland subtypes. Balancing these considerations led to selection of 4 km(2) for the California status and trends program.

Assessing the status and trend of bat populations across broad geographic regions with dynamic distribution models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodhouse, Thomas J.; Ormsbee, Patricia C.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Vierling, Lee A.; Szewczak, Joseph M.; Vierling, Kerri T.

2012-01-01

Despite its common status, M. lucifugus was only detected during ∼50% of the surveys in occupied sample units. The overall naïve estimate for the proportion of the study region occupied by the species was 0.69, but after accounting for imperfect detection, this increased to ∼0.90. Our models provide evidence of an association between NPP and forest cover and M. lucifugus distribution, with implications for the projected effects of accelerated climate change in the region, which include net aridification as snowpack and stream flows decline. Annual turnover, the probability that an occupied sample unit was a newly occupied one, was estimated to be low (∼0.04–0.14), resulting in flat trend estimated with relatively high precision (SD = 0.04). We mapped the variation in predicted occurrence probabilities and corresponding prediction uncertainty along the productivity gradient. Our results provide a much needed baseline against which future anticipated declines in M. lucifugus occurrence can be measured. The dynamic distribution modeling approach has broad applicability to regional bat monitoring efforts now underway in several countries and we suggest ways to improve and expand our grid-based monitoring program to gain robust insights into bat population status and trend across large portions of North America.

Determination of uncertainties associated to the in vivo measurement of iodine-131 in the thyroid.

PubMed

Dantas, B M; Lima, F F; Dantas, A L; Lucena, E A; Gontijo, R M G; Carvalho, C B; Hazin, C

2016-07-01

Intakes of radionuclides can be estimated through in vivo measurements, and the uncertainties associated to the measured activities should be clearly stated in monitoring program reports. This study aims to evaluate the uncertainties of in vivo monitoring of iodine 131 in the thyroid. The reference values for high-energy photons are based on the IDEAS Guide. Measurements were performed at the In Vivo Monitoring Laboratory of the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD) and at the Internal Dosimetry Laboratory of the Regional Center of Nuclear Sciences (CRCN-NE). In both institutions, the experiment was performed using a NaI(Tl) 3''3″ scintillation detector and a neck-thyroid phantom. Scattering factors were calculated and compared in different counting geometries. The results show that the technique produces reproducibility equivalent to the values suggested in the IDEAS Guide and measurement uncertainties is comparable to international quality standards for this type of in vivo monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vision-aided Monitoring and Control of Thermal Spray, Spray Forming, and Welding Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agapakis, John E.; Bolstad, Jon

1993-01-01

Vision is one of the most powerful forms of non-contact sensing for monitoring and control of manufacturing processes. However, processes involving an arc plasma or flame such as welding or thermal spraying pose particularly challenging problems to conventional vision sensing and processing techniques. The arc or plasma is not typically limited to a single spectral region and thus cannot be easily filtered out optically. This paper presents an innovative vision sensing system that uses intense stroboscopic illumination to overpower the arc light and produce a video image that is free of arc light or glare and dedicated image processing and analysis schemes that can enhance the video images or extract features of interest and produce quantitative process measures which can be used for process monitoring and control. Results of two SBIR programs sponsored by NASA and DOE and focusing on the application of this innovative vision sensing and processing technology to thermal spraying and welding process monitoring and control are discussed.

Ecological Monitoring and Compliance Program 2011 Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, D. J.; Anderson, D. C.; Hall, D. B.

The Ecological Monitoring and Compliance (EMAC) Program, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, monitors the ecosystem of the Nevada National Security Site and ensures compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to NNSS biota. This report summarizes the program's activities conducted by National Security Technologies, LLC, during calendar year 2011. Program activities included (a) biological surveys at proposed construction sites, (b) desert tortoise compliance, (c) ecosystem monitoring, (d) sensitive plant species monitoring, (e) sensitive and protected/regulated animal monitoring, (f) habitat restoration monitoring, and (g) monitoring of the Nonproliferation Test and Evaluation Complex. Duringmore » 2011, all applicable laws, regulations, and permit requirements were met, enabling EMAC to achieve its intended goals and objectives.« less

The future role of next-generation DNA sequencing and metagenetics in aquatic biology monitoring programs

EPA Science Inventory

The development of current biological monitoring and bioassessment programs was a drastic improvement over previous programs created for monitoring a limited number of specific chemical pollutants. Although these assessment programs are better designed to address the transient an...

34 CFR 303.501 - Supervision and monitoring of programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... supervision of programs and activities receiving assistance under this part; and (2) The monitoring of... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Supervision and monitoring of programs. 303.501 Section... INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES State Administration General § 303.501 Supervision and monitoring...

34 CFR 303.501 - Supervision and monitoring of programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... supervision of programs and activities receiving assistance under this part; and (2) The monitoring of... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Supervision and monitoring of programs. 303.501 Section... INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES State Administration General § 303.501 Supervision and monitoring...

A western state perspective on monitoring and managing neotropical migratory birds

Treesearch

Frank Howe

1993-01-01

Neotropical migratory bird monitoring programs can contribute greatly to a more holistic and proactive management approach for state agencies. It is, however, imperative that these monitoring programs be scientifically designed and clearly communicated to managers. Information from monitoring programs can be used to develop multiple-species habitat management...

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

Understanding and monitoring the consequences of human impacts on intraspecific variation.

PubMed

Mimura, Makiko; Yahara, Tetsukazu; Faith, Daniel P; Vázquez-Domínguez, Ella; Colautti, Robert I; Araki, Hitoshi; Javadi, Firouzeh; Núñez-Farfán, Juan; Mori, Akira S; Zhou, Shiliang; Hollingsworth, Peter M; Neaves, Linda E; Fukano, Yuya; Smith, Gideon F; Sato, Yo-Ichiro; Tachida, Hidenori; Hendry, Andrew P

2017-02-01

Intraspecific variation is a major component of biodiversity, yet it has received relatively little attention from governmental and nongovernmental organizations, especially with regard to conservation plans and the management of wild species. This omission is ill-advised because phenotypic and genetic variations within and among populations can have dramatic effects on ecological and evolutionary processes, including responses to environmental change, the maintenance of species diversity, and ecological stability and resilience. At the same time, environmental changes associated with many human activities, such as land use and climate change, have dramatic and often negative impacts on intraspecific variation. We argue for the need for local, regional, and global programs to monitor intraspecific genetic variation. We suggest that such monitoring should include two main strategies: (i) intensive monitoring of multiple types of genetic variation in selected species and (ii) broad-brush modeling for representative species for predicting changes in variation as a function of changes in population size and range extent. Overall, we call for collaborative efforts to initiate the urgently needed monitoring of intraspecific variation.

Nonnative Fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irons, Kevin S.; DeLain, Steven A.; Gittinger, Eric; Ickes, Brian S.; Kolar, Cindy S.; Ostendort, David; Ratcliff, Eric N.; Benson, Amy J.; Irons, Kevin S.

2009-01-01

The introduction, spread, and establishment of nonnative species is widely regarded as a leading threat to aquatic biodiversity and consequently is ranked among the most serious environmental problems facing the United States today. This report presents information on nonnative fish species observed by the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program on the Upper Mississippi River System a nexus of North American freshwater fish diversity for the Nation. The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program, as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Environmental Management Plan, is the Nation's largest river monitoring program and stands as the primary source of standardized ecological information on the Upper Mississippi River System. The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program has been monitoring fish communities in six study areas on the Upper Mississippi River System since 1989. During this period, more than 3.5 million individual fish, consisting of 139 species, have been collected. Although fish monitoring activities of the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program focus principally on entire fish communities, data collected by the Program are useful for detecting and monitoring the establishment and spread of nonnative fish species within the Upper Mississippi River System Basin. Sixteen taxa of nonnative fishes, or hybrids thereof, have been observed by the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program since 1989, and several species are presently expanding their distribution and increasing in abundance. For example, in one of the six study areas monitored by the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program, the number of established nonnative species has increased from two to eight species in less than 10 years. Furthermore, contributions of those eight species can account for up to 60 percent of the total annual catch and greater than 80 percent of the observed biomass. These observations are critical because the Upper Mississippi River System stands as a nationally significant pathway for nonnative species expansion between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes Basin. This report presents a synthesis of data on nonnative fish species observed during Long Term Resource Monitoring Program monitoring activities.

Large-Scale Biomonitoring of Remote and Threatened Ecosystems via High-Throughput Sequencing

PubMed Central

Gibson, Joel F.; Shokralla, Shadi; Curry, Colin; Baird, Donald J.; Monk, Wendy A.; King, Ian; Hajibabaei, Mehrdad

2015-01-01

Biodiversity metrics are critical for assessment and monitoring of ecosystems threatened by anthropogenic stressors. Existing sorting and identification methods are too expensive and labour-intensive to be scaled up to meet management needs. Alternately, a high-throughput DNA sequencing approach could be used to determine biodiversity metrics from bulk environmental samples collected as part of a large-scale biomonitoring program. Here we show that both morphological and DNA sequence-based analyses are suitable for recovery of individual taxonomic richness, estimation of proportional abundance, and calculation of biodiversity metrics using a set of 24 benthic samples collected in the Peace-Athabasca Delta region of Canada. The high-throughput sequencing approach was able to recover all metrics with a higher degree of taxonomic resolution than morphological analysis. The reduced cost and increased capacity of DNA sequence-based approaches will finally allow environmental monitoring programs to operate at the geographical and temporal scale required by industrial and regulatory end-users. PMID:26488407

Review of wildlife resources of Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breininger, David R.

1989-01-01

Wildlife resources are reviewed for purposes of developing a Base Biological Monitoring Program (BMP) for Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in Santa Barbara County, California. The review and recommendations were prepared by review of applicable scientific literature and environmental documents for VAFB, discussing information needs with natural resource management professionals at VAFB, and observations of base field conditions. This process found that there are 29 federally listed vertebrates (endangered, threatened, or Category 2) that occur or may occur in the vicinity of VAFB. There are also 63 other state listed or regionally declining species that may occur in the vicinity of VAFB. Habitats of VAFB represent a very valuable environmental resource for rare and declining wildlife in California. However, little information is available on VAFB wildlife resources other than lists of species that occur or are expected to occur. Recommendations are presented to initiate a long-term wildlife monitoring program at VAFB to provide information for environmental impact assessment and wise land use planning.

Development and implementation of a monitoring and information system to increase water use efficiency in arid and semi-arid areas in Limarí, Central Chile (WEIN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Erich; Balmert, David; Richter, Jürgen

2016-10-01

The project WEIN was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF | Berlin, Germany) in the framework of the high-tech strategy of Germany's program "KMU-Innovativ". The project started in 2012 and was completed in 2014. In the scope of the project, an integrated system for analysis, monitoring and information at river basin level was developed, which provides relevant information for all stakeholders that are concerned with water resource issues. The main objective of the project was to improve water use efficiency and hence ensure the agricultural production in the region. The pilot region, in which this system was implemented, is the semi-arid Limarí basin in Northern Central Chile. One of the main parts of the project was the development and implementation of a web- and app-based irrigation water ordering and accounting system for local farmers.