Development Of Environmental Indicators Research Articles

Landolt Indicator Values in Modern Research: A Review

The conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability is essential for human well-being. An important tool for addressing this issue is ecological indicators. This overview document examines recent studies covering the period 2018–2022 that use the values of the Landolt indicator as one of the analysis methods. The total number of records examined was 8910. After excluding irrelevant, inconsistent and duplicate records, 91 records were selected. The selection criteria were the presence of the English abstract and a digital object identifier (DOI). We chose the VOSviewer software for data analysis and visualization. The analysis of research geography, types of plant communities under research, research topics, the network of co-authorship and relationship papers, as well as the publication activity and citation rate of the authors, is carried out. The results revealed that the geography of using Landolt indicator values is quite wide, while they are more often used in Switzerland, Italy and Russia. The most important and frequently cited studies were carried out in the context of large international projects, confirming the importance of scientific cooperation in the development of environmental indicators. The Landolt indicator values showed effectiveness in the study of forests, bogs, riparian vegetation, a coarse quarry waste dump, and in assessing the urban environment. At the same time, the vegetation dynamics and influence of various factors on plants were studied most often. It was revealed that Landolt indicator values can serve as an effective universal method that integrates many aspects of the environment and allows for a comprehensive multicriteria analysis of environmental factors, habitat stability, vegetation diversity and dynamics for different plant communities at different spatial scales over a wide geographical area. This is confirmed by the high citation rate of the papers. We recommend the Landolt indicator values for a wider use, including in the monitoring of ecosystems and individual species for their conservation and sustainable management. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to extend the network of relationships between the authors, which is not very well developed at the moment. The research results obtained are useful for the further successful development not only of the Landolt indicator values but also of environmental indicators in general.

SEEING UNDERGROUND: THE FEASIBILITY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMOTE SENSING IN COASTAL AND HIGHLAND PERU

This paper1 reports programmatic recommendations, an advanced seminar series in archaeology, and field tests in geophysics undertaken during a consultancy with the Peruvian Institute of Culture (INC) in October 1982. The invited international program focused on the investigation of twelve historic, Inca, and pre-Inca sites throughout the coast and highlands. Funding was provided by the OAS, UNESCO, and the Andres Bello Fund. This is the first formal presentation of this effort. The Sendero Luminoso war prevented future investigations under this initiative. The collaborative international effort had three major components: 1) a three-week seminar series on applied technology in archaeology for the archaeological and preservation staff of the INC in Lima, Cusco, and Ayacucho; 2) investigations at twelve INC project sites to recommend appropriate applied technology strategies in support of excavation and stabilization efforts; and 3) resistivity and soil chemistry tests at each site to establish the utility of a variety of site-specific remote sensing strategies (e.g., resistivity, magnetics, or ground penetrating radar/GPR) to provide enhanced definition of archaeological boundaries and internal site structure. Among the underlying strategic goals of the collaborative testing program was the development of environmental indicators, or proxies, based on correlation of the levels of a number of chemical compounds, relative to recorded resistivity levels to project the utility of GPR and resistivity at different sites (the higher the resistivity the deeper the radar penetration). Once defined, future teams could use simple and inexpensive soil chemistry tests, without the need for expensive electrical equipment, to project the utility and penetration of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity at a variety of coastal and highland Inca, pre-Inca, and Colonial sites.

Análisis de parámetros morfométricos y su relación con condiciones de vulnerabilidad en la ecorregión de las Yungas, Argentina

A principios del siglo XX, el sector continental argentino (2.791.810 km2) se encontraba cubierto por, aproximadamente, 100 millones de hectáreas de bosques nativos, superficie que se redujo a 33 millones a finales del mismo; incrementándose en forma notoria la tasa anual de deforestación en los últimos 30 años. Parte de esa superficie forestal se desarrolla en las provincias de Salta y Jujuy, con alrededor de 5 millones de hectáreas que representan ecosistemas ambientalmente críticos para el mantenimiento de la biodiversidad regional. Los datos obtenidos a partir de los sensores remotos resultan un aporte significativo para la evaluación de los cambios producidos en estos ambientes. El presente trabajo se enmarca en el Proyecto denominado “Evaluación de cambios en áreas de monte nativo y su relación con situaciones de vulnerabilidad ambiental en la ecorregión de Selvas subtropicales andinas (Yungas) mediante la fusión de datos Radar – Ópticos” y tiene como principal objetivo generar insumos temáticos que serán utilizados en la elaboración de indicadores ambientales relacionados con la vulnerabilidad ambiental en esta ecorregión. La zona seleccionada corresponde al departamento Ledesma de la provincia de Jujuy, una de las dos Áreas pilotos definidas para llevar a cabo este estudio. Mediante imágenes de la Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), disponibles gratuitamente en la web, fueron definidos parámetros geomorfológicos que permitieron establecer el comportamiento de determinadas variables. Los resultados obtenidos corresponden a diferentes capas temáticas relacionadas con parámetros como: Sombreado analítico, pendiente, aspecto, zona de captación, Índice de humedad, Factor LS, limitación de subcuencas y red hídrica secundaria, los que a partir de su integración en un Sistema de Información Geográfica permitirán contribuir en la elaboración de indicadores relacionados con la vulnerabilidad ambiental en la zona bajo estudio.Revista Ciencias Espaciales, Volumen 8, Número 1 Primavera, 2015; 174-189

Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network (KIEIN-IV): a way of developing national environmental indicators for better environmental information dissemination

One of the main challenges that face Kuwait is the development of environmental indicators for sustainable development. For this purpose, the Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network (KIEIN) multi-phase project was initiated in 1994 with the main goal of developing an interactive environmental information platform. The final KIEIN-IV aims at developing the national environmental indicators, which will be embedded in a web service interface. Key issues behind this project are the dissemination of these indicators among society to maximise the societal benefits and foster the synergy and integration between different users to obtain the utmost benefit. The six main thematic areas, atmosphere and climate change, land, coastal and marine environment, fresh water, biodiversity, and waste management, were developed for the KIEIN GeoPortal. These themes are key environmental issues that are broken down into indicators. In this regard, six Themes, 22 Issues and 65 Indicators were listed.

Registration of land for the common agricultural policy management: potentials for evaluation of environmental policy integration

The impact assessment of the environmental policy integration into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU requires combination of data on bio-physical and economical conditions as well as data on agricultural practice. A major restriction for comparative assessment is that data sources are collected, managed and distributed by different institutions and those datasets are not harmonised across Europe. The challenge is to allocate macro-economic statistics to the farm on landscape level. In this paper we investigate the potentials for use of the CAP administrative datasets in the development of environmental indicators. The basic concepts of the Integrated Administrative and Control Systems (IACS) datasets and common core model are described. This paper gives an example on the development of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland indicators based on the use of data from the administrative register.

Environmental indicator development in China: Debates and challenges ahead

Environmental indicator development in China: Debates and challenges ahead

Seeking truth from facts: The challenge of environmental indicator development in China

China’s environmental policymaking has been long plagued by information gaps, asymmetries, and limited public access, among other challenges. While the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, the national blueprint outlining key economic and development targets for the country between 2011 and 2015, pledges the implementation of “well-equipped statistical and monitoring systems” and “index evaluation systems” to measure progress on a range of energy and environmental targets, developing such robust statistical monitoring systems is challenging. Environmental indicators – quantitative metrics that reflect the status or trend of environmental conditions – can help China measure environmental progress and inform policy. Following former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s urge to “seek truth from facts” (shi shi qiu shi), we examine the challenges of environmental indicator development, data availability, and information transparency through the experience of attempting to produce a China Environmental Performance Index (China EPI), a three-year project to develop provincial level environmental performance indicators in China. Particular attention is given to data and information transparency issues while drawing broader lessons for China’s environmental governance and sustainability.

La gestión del agua y el desarrollo de indicadores ambientales en México y Canadá: un análisis comparativo

One major barrier in the effective implementation of integrated urban water is the missing operable indicators or criteria for indicating implementation success. Canada is recognized as a country leader in the development of environmental indicators; thus this study proposes a comparative analysis with the aim of finding proposals for Mexico, as well as identifying limitations in implementation. Based on a combination of documental research and fieldwork the following areas were compared: Problems in water management; the institutional framework of existing environmental indicators; and the use of indicators of water management. From the country and city-level analysis of Mexico City and Montreal we observe a strong difference in water management systems which are reflected in the type of proposed indicators. But in both cases there are very few urban water-related indicators and a lack of coordination and organization of the data that result in poor use by the decision-makers.

Learning from the social construction of environmental indicators: From the retrospective to the pro-active use of SCOT in technology development

This article explores the challenges, advantages and limitations of the pro-active use of the social construction of technology (SCOT) to improve the methods applied in the development of technology for use by a broad range of actors. Our example is the development of environmental indicators for buildings (EIFOBs). We compare the pro-active use of SCOT with both the ‘traditional’ use of SCOT and with the ‘traditional’ way of developing EIFOBs. pro-actively applying SCOT in developing EIFOBs has the potential of bridging some of the communication gaps at the boundaries between the various professional groups in a multi-actor decision-making process. Using SCOT in a pro-active way means the research becomes action research and the researcher goes beyond the role of a mere observer and becomes an actor too. This means the researcher has to consider the criteria for valid action research when designing and carrying out the research.

Assessing the risks of aquatic species invasions via european inland waterways: from concepts to environmental indicators

Over the past century, the potential for aquatic species to expand their ranges in Europe has been enhanced both as a result of the construction of new canals and because of increased international trade. A complex network of inland waterways now connects some previously isolated catchments in southern (Caspian, Azov, Black, Mediterranean seas) and northern (Baltic, North, Wadden, White seas) Europe, and these waterways act as corridors for nonnative species invasions. We have developed a conceptual risk assessment model for invasive alien species introductions via European inland waterways, with specific protocols that focus on the development of environmental indicators within the socioeconomic context of the driving forces-pressures-state-impact-response framework. The risk assessment protocols and water quality indicators on alien species were tested for selected ecosystems within 3 main European invasion corridors, and these can be recommended for application as part of the Common Implementation Strategy of the European Commission Water Framework Directive, which aims to provide a holistic risk-based management of European river basins. The conceptual structure of the online Risk Assessment Toolkit for aquatic invasive alien species is provided and includes 3 main interlinked components: online risk assessment protocols, an early warning system, and an information transmitter for risk communication to end users.

Environmental indicators: their utility in meeting the OSPAR Convention's regulatory needs

Abstract Johnson, D. 2008. Environmental indicators: their utility in meeting the OSPAR Convention's regulatory needs. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1387–1391. The role of marine environmental indicators is clear; selecting indicators to inform management and for the development of accepted frameworks is proving more elusive. The OSPAR Commission, charged with the environmental protection of the Northeast Atlantic, has been applying an ecosystem approach since 1998, applying on a trial basis a system of ecological quality objectives as indicators of ecosystem health for the North Sea. This paper presents a framework for biodiversity monitoring and assessment, and discusses specific issues associated with marine-litter indicators, representing a cell within the matrix of the framework. In the immediate future, European marine legislation will drive the development of environmental indicators in the area, and further harmonization of indicator sets should enhance their utility.

Selecting environmental indicator for use in strategic environmental assessment

The primary aim of carrying out Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to provide for a high level of environmental protection and to integrate environmental considerations into the planning process. The SEA Directive (2001/42/EC) recommends monitoring to determine the environmental impact of the implementation of plans and programmes. Environmental indicators are a useful tool by which this impact may be measured. However, careful consideration must be given to developing a set of indicators in order to isolate, plan or programme specific impacts. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a workshop-based approach to develop appropriate criteria for selecting environmental indicator for use in SEA. A multi-disciplinary team was used in the approach which consisted of representatives from each of four environmental fields i.e. biodiversity, water, air and climatic factors, together with SEA experts, planning experts, academics and consultants. The team reviewed various sets of criteria, already in existence, for environmental indicator development but not specifically for SEA indicators. The results of this review together with original criteria were applied to the final list agreed upon. Some of the criteria recommended includes, relevance to plan, ability to prioritise, and ability to identify conflict with other plan or SEA objectives.

Evaluation of indicators to assess the environmental impact of dairy production systems

Current awareness of environmental pollution of animal production in Western Europe has triggered research on development of environmental indicators at farm level. Only when the environmental impact of commercial farms can be quantified effectively, important differences in impact can be demonstrated among contrasting systems, which subsequently can contribute to reducing the environmental impact from animal production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental indicators derived from three methods used widely in animal production, i.e., input–output accounting, ecological footprint analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA). Evaluation of the effectiveness of indicators was based on an assessment of their relevance, quality and availability of data. Such a systematic evaluation of these environmental indicators has never been performed yet. To evaluate the effectiveness of the 13 environmental indicators, data from eight organic, commercial dairy farms in the Netherlands were used. Results show that indicators derived from input–output accounting are effective, because of their high relevance, good quality and easy availability of data. These indicators, however, do not include all environmental impact categories (e.g., land use, energy use, global warming potential), and focus on on-farm emission. The environmental indicator derived from ecological footprint analysis is not effective for land and fossil energy use, because of its limited relevance and low quality, whereas LCA resource-based indicators are effective because of their high relevance, good quality and availability of data. LCA indicators for global warming, acidification and eutrophication potential are effective also, because of their good relevance and good quality. Data of these LCA indicators are difficult to collect. To give a good insight into the environmental impact of a dairy production system, besides input–output accounting indicators, LCA indicators are required.

Sustainability indicators for anticipating the fickleness of human?environmental interaction

The development of environmental indicators is dominated by the so-called pressure-state-response (PSR) model. The PSR contains a set of indicators measuring anthropogenic pressure (P) on the environment, the state (S) of the environment resulting from such pressure, and the societal response (R) to ease the pressure. The strength of the PSR is its acknowledgement of the causal relationship between the state of the environment and human activity. Its major weakness, however, is the lack of sophistication of the mathematical and cognitive models representing the causal relationship. As a result, current indicator systems based on the PSR fail to take into account contingencies in human-environmental interaction that make the future state of the system difficult to ascertain. Recognizing the fickleness of human beings and nature will result in very different indicators from those traditionally developed. In particular, the article identifies the following important areas of indicator development: (1) Indicators of ecosystem impacts of production, which measure changes in production outputs and environmentally significant inputs; (2) indicators of bounded carrying capacity, which utilize alternative scenarios of human-environmental interaction to specify the ecosystem-specific limits that societies might pose on industrial production; (3) indicators of congruence between ecosystems, institutions and production, which measure the agreement between the functions of an ecosystem and the institutional rules governing its management; and (4) indicators of technological and institutional path dependence, which observe and potentially strengthen lock-ins in human-environmental interaction. These development challenges imply that sustainability indicators should be considered more as vehicles for improving communication between different communities of experts on the sustainability of a particular system of human-environmental interaction, and less as universal measures of sustainability.

Developing indicators for environmental policy: data-driven and theory-driven approaches examined by example

This paper investigates the issues involved with environmental indicator development for policy by looking at three recent examples from data and theory-driven approaches. The “Environmental Sustainability Index 2001” report from World Economic Forum, YCELP and CIESIN is taken as an example of the data-driven approach, whereby data availability is the central criterion for indicator development and data is provided for all selected indicators. The other two examples are theory-driven, whereby, the focus is on selecting the best possible indicators from a theoretical point of view and data availability is considered only one of the aspects involved. These examples are the Heinz Center’s1999 report on the “State of the Nation’s Ecosystems” and the US National Research Council (NRC) report on “Ecological Indicators for the Nation”. The reports and approaches are discussed and compared in order to determine their strengths and weaknesses. From this lessons are drawn for future environmental indicator work as a basis for policymaking. In the conclusions four important issues are addressed: (1) data availability; (2) ecosystem specificity of indicators; (3) spatial and conceptual aggregation of indicators and (4) baseline or reference values for indicators. For each of these issues recommendations are made.

Indicators of the state of the environment in the Nordic countries

Since the early 1990s the Nordic Indicator Group, appointed and supported by The Nordic Working Group on Monitoring and Data, has been involved in the development of environmental indicators. This article presents the background for and the experiences from the production of the report Indicators of the State of the Environment in the Nordic Countries. The structural elements of the report are presented with examples, and suggestions for further work and improvements are discussed. The following main points are emphasized in the article: – The importance of comparability. – The need for further improvement of the indicator set, and especially concerning the issues Toxic contamination, Biodiversity and Cultural landscapes. – Generally, state and response indicators are in special need of improvement. – The usefulness of “indicator-symbols” and evaluations. – The importance of allocating sufficient resources to the project. – The importance of an expedient institutional set-up.

Development of Environmental Indicators for Use in Macroeconomic Models

AbstractIn the fields of agriculture and resource economics, good economics is predicated by good science. By partnering more with physical scientists, economists will be better able to provide the broad policy-making community with practical recommendations for addressing resource issues. An example of collaboration is presented for the development of environmental indicators of the potential risk to the environment of die loss of pesticides from farm fields, which will be used by economists to adjust conventionally measured agricultural output for water quality impacts associated with agricultural production.

Development of Environmental Indicators on Amenity

Development of Environmental Indicators on Amenity