Application Of Ecological Indicators Research Articles

THE BENEFITS OF RIVER INDICATORS TO ASSESS THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF IIUM CAMPUS

The concept of sustainable campus has emerged from the social, economic and environmental impacts due to anthropogenic activities around the world. One of the initiatives of sustainable campus is the application of ecological indicators. The indicators provide information about the current condition and early warning on the possible risks of environmental impacts to the campus environment. However, lack of understanding on the values of natural ecosystem in campusand the lack of proper planning has led to the depletion of natural ecosystem. The study seeks to examine river degradation in IIUM campus and to explore the benefits of river indicators towards achieving IIUM as an ecologically sustainable campus. Data were gathered using a qualitative approach involving three methods of data collection namely: (i) document analysis, (ii) semi-structured interview and (iii) site inventory. The finding reveals that the application of river channel morphology indicators is an important basis for physical planning in making a campus ecologically sustainable. Further analysis suggests that the suitable indicators to assess the condition of IIUM River are the river channel morphology indicators such as width, depth, channel pattern and slope ratio. The process of selecting the indicators are carried out based on six criteria of good indicators discussed in this study. The study concluded that the application of river channelmorphology indicators is a critical process in physical planning of a sustainable campus as it contributes in preventing the loss of natural ecosystem and it offers a credible basis for creating a conducive place for campus residents.

THE BENEFITS OF RIVER INDICATORS TO ASSESS THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF IIUM CAMPUS

The concept of sustainable campus has emerged from the social, economic and environmental impacts due to anthropogenic activities around the world. One of the initiatives of sustainable campus is the application of ecological indicators. The indicators provide information about the current condition and early warning on the possible risks of environmental impacts to the campus environment. However, lack of understanding on the values of natural ecosystem in campusand the lack of proper planning has led to the depletion of natural ecosystem. The study seeks to examine river degradation in IIUM campus and to explore the benefits of river indicators towards achieving IIUM as an ecologically sustainable campus. Data were gathered using a qualitative approach involving three methods of data collection namely: (i) document analysis, (ii) semi-structured interview and (iii) site inventory. The finding reveals that the application of river channel morphology indicators is an important basis for physical planning in making a campus ecologically sustainable. Further analysis suggests that the suitable indicators to assess the condition of IIUM River are the river channel morphology indicators such as width, depth, channel pattern and slope ratio. The process of selecting the indicators are carried out based on six criteria of good indicators discussed in this study. The study concluded that the application of river channelmorphology indicators is a critical process in physical planning of a sustainable campus as it contributes in preventing the loss of natural ecosystem and it offers a credible basis for creating a conducive place for campus residents.

Application of ecological indicators in coastal watershed under high pressure during summer period

ABSTRACT Water bodies located in coastal areas are subject to human pressures and the loss of environmental quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of the river Papaquara through water quality and river landscape, using the Trophic Index (TRIX) and Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP). The study was developed in the watershed located in the north of the island of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis – SC, whose population increase in the summer is around 280%. The Trophic Index and the Rapid Assessment Protocol were evaluated in the pre-summer period, summer and after-summer in seven sample points along the inner areas (higher population density), median and outside the Papaquara river, plus two points in affluent. The river Papaquara showed up in great stress state, is classified as eutrophic, 77% of the samples and changed in 50% of the sampled area, as the TRIX index and RAP, respectively. The internal area registered up eutrophic and impacted in all periods analyzed. The median area and the outer decreased their water quality, due to summer activity, while there was no change in environmental quality by RAP. A significant correlation between the indices used indicated that the RAP should be used with caution to describe the condition of water quality. This analysis has submitted be more appropriate when used in river scale as a whole, but not isolated segments.

Biogeographic trends of endemic and subendemic flora in the western Iberian Peninsula under scenarios of future climate changes

Altitude, temperature and precipitation are important environmental variables in the circumscription of endemic plants’ biogeographic distributions. Taking in account their present distribution, this work studies the distribution trends of 116 endemic and subendemic species that occur on the western Iberian Peninsula and north-western Morocco, in different scenarios of future climate change . It was possible to identify five groups of taxa in the present environmental conditions, four of which for the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula. This range can partially be explained by the altitudinal variability of such area. The other group distributes along the western of the Iberian Peninsula. Concerning future climate change scenarios, important changes in species distribution, and a general south-north trend were obtained. Under harsher climatic changes, only the groups that tolerate the most variable environmental conditions persist. Estimates of extinction rates of the studied taxa for the next 75 years scenarios are also presented. The present methodology allow the application of ecological indicators (environmental groups, in this case) to characterize bioclimatic trends.

Twenty volumes of ecological indicators – An accounting short review

In this paper some tendencies of indicator development and application are presented from a quantitative and a qualitative point-of-view. The results of a mainly statistical analysis of the first twenty volumes of the journal Ecological Indicators are described and discussed. The focus of this investigation has been set on five questions:.(A)Which types of ecological indicators have been applied and how frequently have they been used?(B)In which management context have the indicators been applied?(C)Which integrative tools have been utilized to present the results in an aggregated form?(D)Has a theory for the application and interpretation of ecological indicators been developed?(E)Which are the resulting challenges in indicator development and application?The answers to the first three questions are given in tables and figures, while the fourth question is answered shortly and with references to the key papers that are covering the theoretical considerations behind the application of ecological indicators. Discussing the focal challenges it is foreseen that two theoretical questions will require enhanced attention the coming years: to apply fewer and more general indices and to translate the multitude of indicators to the concept of sustainability that covers the ecological–sociological–economic and political background of the overall indication activities. Furthermore, the general demands for aggregation and integration and an assessment of normative loadings in indicator systems are listed as focal tasks for future development in the field.

Application of Ecological Indicators

▪ Abstract Ecological indicators have widespread appeal to scientists, environmental managers, and the general public. Indicators have long been used to detect changes in nature, but the scientific maturation in indicator development primarily has occurred in the past 40 years. Currently, indicators are mainly used to assess the condition of the environment, as early-warning signals of ecological problems, and as barometers for trends in ecological resources. Use of ecological indicators requires clearly stated objectives; the recognition of spatial and tempor al scales; assessments of statistical variability, precision, and accuracy; linkages with specific stressors; and coupling with economic and social indicators. Legislatively mandated use of ecological indicators occurs in many countries worldwide and is included in international accords. As scientific advancements and innovation in the development and use of ecological indicators continue through applications of molecular biology, computer technology such as geographic information systems, data management such as bioinformatics, and remote sensing, our ability to apply ecological indicators to detect signals of environmental change will be substantially enhanced.

Integration of Environmental Indicators for the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region

The Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) Project began in 1994 as a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Region III Office and the Office of Research and Development. This multiyear initiative was envisioned to: (1) improve the quality of environmental science and promote the use of sound science in environmental decision-making; (2) characterize the condition of ecological resources; and (3) report on the progress toward environmental goals through a series of State-of-the-Region reports. These reports are produced using a coordinated, integrated approach that is carried out at four levels of increasing sophistication and complexity. Results indicate that the condition of individual ecological resources can be determined with existing indicators. The results from MAIA are being communicated in a manner that is understood by environmental managers as evidenced by their use in environmental management decision-making. The application of ecological indicators needs to be coupled with an appropriate sampling design to ensure that the measurements made in the environment can be used to address the relevant questions. Multiresource indicators, those that synthesize information on individual ecological resources, are of high priority for research

Ecological Indicators in Risk Assessment: Workshop Summary

ABSTRACT Ecological indicators can be defined as relatively simple measurements that relay scientific information about complex ecosystems. Such indicators are used to characterize risk in ecological risk assessment (ERA) and to mark progress toward resource management goals. In late 1997, scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and from the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) held a workshop to explore opportunities for collaborative research and scientific exchange on the development and application of ecological indicators. Several scientific challenges were identified as they relate to problem formulation, exposure and effects assessment, and risk characterization. Chief among these were a better understanding of multiple stressors (both chemical and non-chemical), characterization of reference sites and natural variability, extrapolation of measures to ecologically relevant scales, development of comprehensive, ecosystem-based models that incorporate multiple stressors and receptors, and a consistent system for evaluating ecological indicators.