United States Office of EPA/600/9-90/028
Environmental Protection Research and Development June 1990
Agency Washington DC 20460
Environmental
Monitoring and
Assessment Program
1990 Project Descriptors
Do not remove. This document
should be retained in the EPA
Region 5 Library Collection.
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EPA/600/9-90/028
June 1990
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND
ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
1990 Project Descriptors
The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
Office of Modeling, Monitoring Systems, and Quality Assurance
Washington, DC 20460
OFFICE OF MODELING, MONITORING SYSTEMS, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, DC 20460
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, U. 60604-3590
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PREFACE
The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is a joint effort of the Office of
Modeling, Monitoring Systems, and Quality Assurance and the Office of Environmental Processes and
Effects Research, within the Office of Research and Development.
This document has been prepared to provide information on the projects within EMAP funded for
Fiscal Year 1990. EMAP is an initiating program, and as such, most of its component projects are just
beginning. Some projects will be implemented in 1990, while others will focus specifically on planning
and strategy development for implementation within the next few years. As a result, descriptions of
the projects contained in this document as well as lists of deliverables and milestones reflect current
program plans, although it is likely that the details for some projects will change as EMAP plans
progress and are refined. It is anticipated that this document will be updated annually to reflect
current plans, following the closure of each fiscal year budget cycle.
For further information on any part of EMAP, contact the appropriate Project Officer or Principal
Investigator noted on each project descriptor.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1 INTRODUCTION 1-1
2 MONITORING 2-1
2,1 Air and Deposition 2-3
Project 1: Support for the National Dry Deposition Network 2-4
Project 2: Investigation of Existing Network Capabilities 2-5
Project 3: Study to Determine Optimum Status and Trends Network 2-6
2,2 Landscape Characterization 2-7
Project 1: Sampling Frame Development for Ecosystem Monitoring 2-8
Project 2: EMAP Landscape Characterization Pilot 2-9
Project 3: Development of a Master Plan for Landscape Characterization 2-10
2.3 Agroecosystems 2-11
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Agroecosystems 2-12
2.4 Arid Ecosystems 2-13
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Arid Ecosystems 2-14
2.5 Forest Ecosystems , , 2-15
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Forest Ecosystems 2-16
Project 2: Field Evaluations of Quality Assurance and Data Base Management
Procedures and Indicators 2-17
2.6 Near Coastal Ecosystems 2-18
Project 1: Development of a Near Coastal Monitoring Implementation Plan 2-19
Project 2: Review and Development of Diagnostic Indicators for
Marine Ecosystems 2-20
Project 3: The Virginian Province Demonstration Project 2-21
Project 4: The Louisianian Province Demonstration Project 2-22
2.7 Surface Water Ecosystems 2-23
Project 1: Assessment of Changes in Surface Water Chemistry 2-24
Project 2: Indicators of Surface Water Condition 2-25
Project 3: Design and Implementation of Surface Water Monitoring 2-26
Project 4: Logistics and Total Quality Management for Surface Water
Ecosystems 2-27
2.8 Wetland Ecosystems 2-28
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Wetland Ecosystems 2-29
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Section Page
3 ASSESSMENT 3-1
3.1 Program Coordination 3-3
Project 1: Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program Planning
for EMAP 3-4
Project 2: Logistics Program Planning for EMAP 3-5
Project 3: EMAP Information Management 3-6
Project 4: EMAP International Activities: Regional Assessment of Pollution
Sources and Effects in Nepal 3-7
Project 5: Technology Transfer 3-8
3.2 Integrated Assessment 3-9
Project 1: Integration 3-10
Project 2: The Applicability of Indices to Ecological Status Assessments 3-11
Project 3: EMAP Assessment Strategy 3-12
Project 4: Case Studies 3-13
Projects: Near Coastal Model Integrated Assessment 3-14
Project 6: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Forest Ecosystems 3-16
Project 7: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Arid Ecosystems 3-17
Project 8: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Agroecosystems 3-18
Project 9: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Surface Water and
Wetland Ecosystems 3-19
3.3 Monitoring Design and Research 3-20
Project 1: Spatial Statistics 3-21
Project 2: Temporal Statistics 3-22
'Project 3: Development of the EMAP Sampling Grid 3-23
Project 4: Development of the Design Aspects of EMAP 3-24
Project 5: Research Strategy for Developing Indicators of Ecological Condition 3-25
Project 6: International Symposium on Indicators of Ecological Condition 3-26
Project 7: Biodiversity 3-27
IV
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SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
The EPA, Congress, and private environmental organizations have long recognized the need to improve
our ability to document the condition of our environment. Congressional hearings in 1984 on the
National Environmental Monitoring Improvement Act concluded that, despite considerable expenditures
on monitoring, federal agencies could assess neither the status of ecological resources nor the overall
progress toward legally mandated goals of mitigating or preventing adverse ecological effects. In the
past decade, articles and editorials in professional journals of the environmental sciences have
repeatedly called for the collection of more relevant and comparable ecological data and for easy access
to such data by the research community.
Affirming the existence of a major gap in our environmental data and recognizing the broad support for
better environmental monitoring, the Science Advisory Board recommended in 1988 that EPA initiate a
program that would monitor ecological status and trends and develop innovative methods for
anticipating emerging problems before they reach crisis proportions. EPA was encouraged to become
more active in ecological monitoring because its regulatory responsibilities require quantitative, scientific
assessments of the complex effects of pollutants on ecosystems. Therefore, the EPA, in cooperation
with other federal agencies, is developing the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
(EMAP).
Program Overview
EMAP is being designed to monitor indicators of the condition of our Nation's ecological resources.
Specifically, EMAP is intended to respond to the growing demand for information characterizing the
condition of our environment and the type and location of changes in our environment. Simultaneous
monitoring of pollutants and environmental changes will allow the identification of likely causes of
adverse changes. When fully implemented, EMAP will address the following questions:
What is the current extent of our ecological resources (e.g., estuaries, lakes, forests, and
wetlands), and how are they distributed geographically?
What percentages of the resources appear to be adversely affected by pollutants'and other
man-induced environmental stress, and in which regions are the problems most severe or
widespread?
Which resources are degrading, where, and at what rate?
What are the relative patterns and magnitudes of the possible causes of adverse effects?
Are adversely affected ecosystems improving overall in response to control and mitigation
programs?
EMAP will provide the Administrator and the public with statistical data summaries and periodic
integrated assessments on ecological status and trends.
The major activities in 1990 around which EMAP is being developed follow:
Indicator Evaluation and Testing - evaluation and testing of indicators of ecological condition
Network Design - design and evaluation of integrated, statistical monitoring networks and
protocols for collecting status and trends data on indicators
Landscape Characterization - nationwide characterization of ecological resources in areas within
the EMAP sampling network to establish a baseline for monitoring and assessment
Near Coastal Demonstration Project - implementation of regional-scale surveys to define the
current status of our estuarine resources
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Although these activities will eventually be established in all categories of ecosystems, the initial
emphasis will be on testing and implementing the program in estuaries, forests, and inland surface
waters, coordinating these activities with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey, respectively. Because precipitation and air
quality are two important factors influencing ecosystems, EMAP also will contribute to the evaluation
and maintenance of the multi-agency atmospheric deposition networks currently coordinated by the
National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (i.e., the National Trends Network/National Dry
Deposition Network). These ecosystems and deposition networks offer immediate opportunities to
demonstrate the EMAP approach.
EMAP also will contribute to the development of a research program in environmental statistics. This
program will refine the statistical framework for the remaining types of ecosystems in preparation for full
implementation of EMAP in 1995 and beyond. Relying heavily on expertise from academia and
industry, this program will develop methods and approaches for (a) analyzing and interpreting spatial
and temporal trends in indicators across regions, (b) incorporating and substituting historical data and
data from ongoing monitoring programs into EMAP, (c) designing efficient total quality management
programs for ecological monitoring efforts, and (d) diagnosing the possible causes of adverse
conditions in ecosystems.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program I
Attefuncnt
MM
Program
Coordination
Integration and
Assessment
Monitoring Design 1
and Research
Figure 1. The EMAP components of monitoring and
assessment activities.
Program Management
This document presents summary
descriptions of the major elements of
EMAP. These project descriptors are
organized into two categories:
monitoring and assessment, the
components of which are illustrated in
Figure 1. The monitoring section
addresses those projects associated
with the planning and implementation
of data collection activities. The
assessment section describes projects
associated with the analysis and
interpretation of monitoring and
ancillary data and the production of
integrated regional assessments of
ecosystem condition.
These project descriptors are
intended to inform scientists and
other interested parties, both within
and external to EPA, about the
current plans of EMAP. It is
anticipated that this document will be
updated annually.
EMAP is a complex multi-disciplinary, matrix-managed program that requires a high degree of
coordination among the various groups involved. To achieve this level of coordination, resources
must be provided for several specialized tasks associated with program management. These tasks
provide the EMAP Director and other program managers with the support necessary to
hold planning meetings for developing long-term program objectives, setting Task Group
resource targets, resolving management issues, and reviewing program plans and reports;
prepare planning documents required by EPA senior management, Congress, and the Office of
Management and Budget;
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support advisory committees to assist in the development and provide external review of
program plans, strategies, and outputs; and
develop and implement innovative techniques for managing large matrix-managed programs like
EMAP.
EMAP has defined a program budget that reserves the necessary resources for these management
activities as well as those resources associated with monitoring and assessment activities (Table 1).
This management budget is essential to ensure facilitation of the program in 1990 as well as over the
long term. The budgets for monitoring and assessment will be used to fund the projects described in
the rest of this document.
Table 1. EMAP 1990 Budget Summary
Major EMAP Activity R&D Funds ($1000s) % Total
Program Management 1710.5 8.8
Monitoring 13447.9 69.4
Assessment 4230.8 21.8
TOTAL 19389.1 100.0
1-3
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SECTION 2
MONITORING
Section Page
2.1 Air and Deposition 2-3
Project 1: Support for the National Dry Deposition Network 2-4
Project 2: Investigation of Existing Network Capabilities 2-5
Project 3: Study to Determine Optimum Status and Trends Network 2-6
2.2 Landscape Characterization 2-7
Project 1: Sampling Frame Development for Ecosystem Monitoring 2-8
Project 2: EMAP Landscape Characterization Pilot 2-9
Project 3: Development of a Master Plan for Landscape Characterization 2-10
2.3 Agroecosystems 2-11
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Agroecosystems 2-12
2.4 Arid Ecosystems 2-13
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Arid Ecosystems 2-14
2.5 Forest Ecosystems 2-15
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Forest Ecosystems 2-16
Project 2: Field Evaluations of Quality Assurance and Data Base Management
Procedures and Indicators 2-17
2.6 Near Coastal Ecosystems 2-18
Project 1: Development of a Near Coastal Monitoring Implementation Plan 2-19
Project 2: Review and Development of Diagnostic Indicators for
Marine Ecosystems 2-20
Project 3: The Virginian Province Demonstration Project 2-21
Project 4: The Louisianian Province Demonstration Project 2-22
2.7 Surface Water Ecosystems 2-23
Project 1: Assessment of Changes in Surface Water Chemistry 2-24
Project 2: Indicators of Surface Water Condition 2-25
Project 3: Design and Implementation of Surface Water Monitoring 2-26
Project 4: Logistics and Total Quality Management for Surface Water
Ecosystems 2-27
2.8 Wetland Ecosystems 2-28
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Wetland Ecosystems 2-29
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Monitoring
The monitoring aspects of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program are targeted at
addressing the first three questions listed in Section 1. EMAP will focus specifically on national and
regional scales over periods of years to decades, collecting data on indicators of ecological condition
from multiple ecosystems and integrating them to assess environmental change. This approach, along
with a statistically based design, distinguishes it from most current monitoring efforts, which tend to be
short-term or locally focused. A long-term, integrated, multi-ecosystem monitoring program offers the
advantages of earlier detection of problems and improved resolution of their extent and magnitude,
while enabling formulation of more cost-effective regulatory or remedial actions.
Environmental monitoring data are collected by EPA to meet the requirements of a variety of regulatory
programs. Many federal agencies collect environmental data specifically for the purpose of managing
particular ecological resources. Efficient execution of EPA's mandate to protect the Nation's
ecosystems requires that EMAP complement, supplement, and integrate data and expertise from the
regulatory offices within EPA and from other agencies. EMAP should not be perceived as a substitute
for ongoing programs designed to meet objectives other than its own. Interagency coordination is
actively being pursued with the Departments of Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture. This coordination
avoids duplicative monitoring efforts, facilitates exchange of existing data for use in the refinement of
monitoring networks, and increases the expertise available to quantify and understand observed status
and trends. A joint program approach through the EMAP sampling concept/design also adds value to
all existing programs. In addition, EMAP will draw upon the expertise and activities of the EPA Regional
Offices, States, and the international community.
Ecological monitoring programs of the 1990s and beyond must be able to respond and adapt to new
issues and perspectives within the context of a continuing effort to detect trends and patterns in
environmental change. These demands will be met by EMAP through a flexible design that can
accommodate as yet undefined questions and objectives as well as changing criteria of performance
and scientific capability. Further, EMAP's design will encourage analysis, review, and reporting
processes that foster discovery of unanticipated results and promote the widespread dissemination of
scientifically sound information. Periodic evaluations of the program's direction and emphasis will be
the key to maintaining its viability and relevance while retaining the continuity of the basic data sets.
These evaluations will serve to preclude the "aging" that typically hinders long-term monitoring efforts.
A 1990 budget summary for EMAP monitoring follows.
1990
Major EMAP Activity
Air and Deposition
Landscape Characterization
Agroecosystems
Arid Ecosystems
Forest Ecosystems
Near Coastal Ecosystems
Surface Water Ecosystems
Wetland Ecosystems
TOTAL
Budget Summary for Monitoring Activities
R&D Funds ($1000$)
574.2
2420.7
344.5
273.4
1007.7
6509.6
1968.6
349.1
13447.9
% Total
3.0
12.5
1.8
1.4
5.2
33.6
10.2
1.8
69.4
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Section 2.1: Air and Deposition
An important stress that has been linked to several adverse regional-scale changes in ecosystem
condition is non-urban air pollution. These changes include the direct effects of poor air quality on
forest and agricultural species, acidification of lakes and streams by wet and dry atmospheric deposition
(e.g., acid rain), potentially reduced agricultural outputs due to stratospheric ozone depletion, and
changes in agricultural patterns due to global climate change. Therefore, if EMAP is to interpret changes
in ecosystem condition that may be associated with changes in air quality or deposition rates, it is
important that data be collected and analyzed on these important stresses.
The specific objectives of the EMAP Air and Deposition Task Group follow:
characterize in non-urban areas the regional status and trends of near-surface air concentrations
and deposition,
provide estimates of concentration/deposition for the development of empirical relationships
between pollutant exposure and ecological condition indicators, and
confirm the extent to which control program objectives are being achieved.
This effort will be implemented in stages. The first stage, which will begin in 1990, will identify and
obtain existing data. Analysis of these data will define the best network configuration that can be
developed around existing networks and the requirements of ecosystem researchers, policymakers,
and the scientific community. These studies will contribute to the development of an air and deposition
monitoring plan that will lay out the EMAP strategy for implementing these networks and for using and
reporting the information obtained from them.
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Air and Deposition
Project 1: Support for the National Dry Deposition Network
Protect Officer
Rudy Boksleitner
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-4746
Principal Investigator
Eric Edgerton
ESE Inc., Chapel Hill, NC
(919) 544-3903
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
The National Dry Deposition Network (NDDN) is presently collecting data in support of the Acid
Deposition Program. The NDDN is considered as the infrastructure on which to base EMAP air
and deposition research in the future. This network is the only currently operating air
concentration network that collects data from geographic areas of interest to EMAP. Network
sites are located in non-urban areas. Data from this network are needed to estimate both spatial
and temporal exposures to ecosystems in study regions.
Work Plan
Standard concentration monitors will be deployed at 51 sites throughout the United States to
obtain concentration measurements using standardized procedures for collecting and analyzing
dry deposition samples. Quality control audits will be performed to document the quality of the
data collected and to improve network performance. The concentration data collected at these
sites will be converted to dry deposition velocities using the Big Leaf Model, developed by the
Deposition Monitoring Task Croup of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program
(NAPAP). This information will be reported in a form suitable for use by both EMAP and NAPAP.
In addition to the field monitoring component of this effort, prototype concentration monitors will
be deployed at certain research sites, and work will continue on developing sensors and
samplers that will be used to refine NDDN protocols in the future.
Deliverable* Time Frame
Annual data report and analysis for the National Dry Deposition
Network 6/90
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Air and Deposilion
Project 2: Investigation of Existing Network Capabilities
Project Officer
David Holland
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-3126
Principal Investigator
Tim Haas
University of Washington
(206) 543-4537
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
EMAP will rely, in part, on atmospheric exposure information from existing sampling networks, in
particular the National Dry Deposition Network. Analyses must be performed to determine how
well these existing monitoring systems characterize non-urban exposure. This information will be
used to design a network that will provide data of known accuracy and precision in estimating
spatial exposure and temporal trends.
Information from this project and the following one will be used by the ecosystem Task Croups
to relate atmospheric exposure levels to ecosystem status. The information also will be used by
policymakers who will implement new Clean Air Act Amendments to determine the effectiveness
of emission reduction regulations.
Work Plan
Data from existing networks will be gathered and compiled into a data base. In addition to being
used" for this project, data will be available to other ecosystem Task Croups for their analysis.
The data base will provide a central archive for atmospheric data collected in non-urban areas.
An advisory panel consisting of recognized experts in spatial statistics will be formed to provide
advice and guidance to the Project Officer and Principal Investigator. This panel will meet
regularly to review progress of the project.
Deliverables Time Frame
Report describing contents of non-urban atmospheric data base 8/90
Report on existing deposition network capability 2/91
Air and deposition monitoring and assessment plan for EMAP 2/91
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Air ar»d Deposition
Project 3: Study to Determine Optimum Status and Trends Network
Project Officer
David Holland
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-3126
Principal Investigator
Tim Haas
University of Washington
(206) 543-4537
Period of Performance
1991-1992
Objectives
EMAP will rely, in part, on atmospheric exposure information from existing sampling networks, in
particular the National Dry Deposition Network. Evaluation analyses from other projects will be
used as a basis for supplementing existing networks with new and relocated sites. Enhanced
networks will have the precision and accuracy required by ecosystem researchers to characterize
non-urban exposure. Data collected by this network will provide data of known accuracy and
precision for estimating spatial exposure and temporal trends.
This information will be used by EMAP Task Groups to relate atmospheric exposure levels to
ecosystem status. The information will also be used by researchers and policymakers who will
implement new Clean Air Act Amendments to determine the effectiveness of emission reduction
regulations.
Work Plan
Analyses conducted for other projects will provide spatial variability estimates of pollutants of
interest. These analyses will also indicate now well present systems characterize exposure to
non-urban areas.
This information will be used to design an optimum spatial network. Analysis will indicate where
additional sites are needed, where redundant sites occur, and where unusual situations
(topographic features) require nontraditional methods for network design. The optimum spatial
network will be supplemented, as needed, to ensure that required trends information can be
obtained.
Deliverables Time Frame
Report describing an optimum "trends" network 6/90
Report describing an optimum "status" network 4/91
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Section 2.2: Landscape Characterization
Monitoring and assessment of status and trends in ecosystem condition must begin with a
determination of the extent and distribution of ecosystems. The EMAP landscape characterization effort
is designed to determine the extent and distribution of the Nation's ecological resources through the
use of satellite imagery, aerial photography, and Geographic Information Systems (CIS). This
information will provide a baseline against which results of EMAP ecosystem monitoring can be
compared, i.e., it serves as a point of reference for status and trends monitoring.
Landscape characterization can also aid in the assessment of nominal or subnominal ecosystem
condition. Because there is a strong correlation between landscape setting and ecosystem health or
pollutant exposure, some types of spatial characterization data are directly applicable for use as
stressor, exposure/habitat, or response indicators. For example, land use patterns should provide
valuable information on the presence of stressors, and documented changes in the extent of ecosystem
types (forests, agroecosystems, arid lands, etc.) should serve to indicate ecosystem response.
The long-term objectives of the the EMAP Characterization Task Croup are to
identify or develop land classification concepts appropriate to ecological monitoring information
needs,
apply these classification concepts in compiling regional and national baseline data in a
geographic information system,
identify and compile other categories of spatial data that can be incorporated into a national data
base of the principal components of the landscape,
generate a sampling frame for each target ecosystem,
document nationwide extent and distribution of target ecosystem populations and
subpopulations and other relevant landscape components for a base time period, and
provide regional and national information of trends in landscape change.
During 1990, this effort will concentrate on the development of sampling frames for use in the design of
ecosystem monitoring networks, the preparation of a Landscape Characterization Master Plan, and the
initiation of landscape characterization pilot projects.
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Landscape Characterization
Project 1: Sampling Frame Development for Ecosystem Monitoring
Project Officer
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Principal Investigator
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop an inventory of ecosystem classes (sampling frames for each ecosystem, excluding
Near Coastal) on 12,600 hexagons for the purpose of selecting sites for field samples. Sampling
frames will be developed for those ecosystems in which implementation will occur first, such as
surface waters and forests in the New England states, with frames for other ecosystems to be
developed at least six months prior to anticipated field sampling.
Work Plan
Sampling frame development will occur over a four-year period (FY90-FY93). See Deliverables for
specific time frames by ecosystem. Sampling frames will be developed primarily from existing data
sources such as the National Wetlands Inventory; some new imagery may be necessary,
however, to determine the distribution of certain ecosystem classes. Imagery or existing data on
ecosystem class distribution will be entered into a Geographic Information System (CIS); data
from aerial photography will be interpreted and entered into the system, while other data already
in digital format will be entered directly into the computer. Quality assurance procedures will be
developed for each major step in completing sampling frames (e.g., measurement techniques and
data base compilation). Samples can then be selected from the data base for each ecosystem class
using assigned sampling rules (e.g., nearest discrete ecosystem unit to the center of the hexagon).
Order and priority of developing sampling frames for ecosystems may change as a result of
changes in program direction.
Deliverables Time Frame
The following time frames are anticipated for development of
sampling frames and of CIS data bases and CIS-generated maps for
ecosystem sample frames:
Surface Water Ecosystems (national coverage) FY90
Forest Ecosystems (Northeast) FY90
Forest Ecosystems (national coverage) FY91
Agroecosystems (national coverage) FY91
Wetland Ecosystems (national coverage) FY92
Arid Ecosystems (national coverage) FY93
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Landscape Characterization
Project 2: EMAP Landscape Characterization Pilot
Project Officer
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Principal Investigator
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
To pilot test a landscape characterization methodology, using satellite imagery (thematic mapper)
and aerial photography, through the complete characterization of approximately 300 40-sq km
hexagons. The information collected will allow the interpretation of landscape features that can
then DC used in EMAP monitoring, assessment, and planning activities.
Work Plan
The Landscape Characterization Pilot is made up of two major tasks. The first involves the
collection and interpretation of thematic mapper (TM) data and aerial photography (both historical
and new coverage) for a transect of 10 sites within the Virginian Biogeographic Province coastal
watersheds. The TM and photography will be input in digital format in the Landscape
Characterization Database (LCD), ana a blend of photo and satellite sources on the same
hexagons will be tested to determine the most cost-effective, multiple-source options to meet the
needs of each ecosystem Task Group within EMAP.
The second major task is an effort to fully characterize approximately 280 40-sq km hexagons in
New England. This task will be conducted in conjunction with the EMAP-Forest Ecosystem Task
Croup's Forest Monitoring Projects in New England, which will be implemented in the same region.
Aerial and TM imagery will be acquired for an area in New England, to be defined by the Task
Croup. The imagery will be interpreted and placed into the LCD in digital format. Analysis and
interpretation of data will provide an assessment of landscape conditions within the pilot area.
Deliverable Time Frame
Project report on characterization evaluation in the Virginian Province
watersheds 7/90
Journal article on characterization evaluation in the Virginian Province
watersheds 11/90
* Project report assessing and interpreting landscape characteristics
within the New England area (potentially joint report with the Forest
Ecosystem Task Croup) 4/91
journal article on landscape characteristics and status within the New
England area 8/91
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Landscape Characterization
Project 3: Development of a Master Plan for Landscape Characterization
Project Officer
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Principal Investigator
Doug Norton
EPA/EPIC
Warrenton, VA
(703) 349-8970
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
To develop a master plan for completing national characterization (12,600 hexagons) over a six-
year period and to provide a framework for periodic re-characterization (approximately every
10 years). This plan will include strategies for using aerial and satellite imagery to establish a
baseline for landscape characteristics across the United States. It will also serve as the initial step
in detecting changes in landscape characteristics over time, including distribution and arrangement
of ecosystem classes and land uses. These data, coupled with field data on individual
ecosystems, will help determine patterns between ecosystem condition and changes in land use.
The plan will also establish quality assurance requirements, data acquisition and collection
schedules, and guidance for production of assessments and reports.
Work Plan
Characterization requirements for all the field monitoring components of EMAP will be finalized in
early 1990. This process will be followed by a characterization assessment and reporting
workshop involving experts in spatial statistics and landscape ecology. Using the results of this
workshop, a draft master plan will be prepared and extensively reviewed, with a formal peer
review to be held in mid-1990. Comments and recommendations from this peer review will be
reconciled in a final manuscript.
Deliverable*
Characterization assessment and reporting workshop
Draft EMAP landscape characterization master plan
Final EMAP landscape characterization master plan
journal article: A multistaged approach to landscape characterization
Journal article: Status and trends of ecosystems in the United States -
a landscape approach
Time Frame
2/90
3/90
7/90
10/90
2/91
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Section 2.3: Agroecosystems
Agroecosystems are highly stressed systems that are essential for human welfare, cover vast acreage,
represent a leading sector of the U.S. economy, provide habitat for natural vegetation and wildlife, and
serve as the largest source of non-point source pollutant loadings to streams and lakes in the United
States. The goals of the EMAP Agroecosystem Task Croup are to monitor the status and trends of the
conditions in agroecosystems on a regional and national basis, to identify spatial and temporal patterns
of the anthropogenic stresses impacting agroecosystems, and to attempt to assess the relative impacts
of these stresses and natural stressors on agricultural resources. The specific objectives of the EMAP
Agroecosystem Task Group are to
determine the current condition of agroecosystems nationwide;
understand the current pollutant levels/stressors associated with these systems;
monitor the status/changes in agricultural resources and levels of stressors;
determine the magnitude, rate, extent, and location of change in structure or ecosystem
condition;
identify possible cause for such changes; and
identify specific agroecosystems that are at highest risk.
In 1990, the Agroecosystem Task Group will concentrate its efforts on planning and on evaluating data
from currently operating monitoring networks in other agencies.
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Agroecosystems
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Agroecosystems
Project Officers
Bruce Jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Walter Heck
USDA/ARS
North Carolina State University
(919) 737-3311
Principal Investigator
Walter Heck
USDA/ARS
North Carolina State University
(919) 737-3311
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
To develop a master plan for national-scale monitoring of agroecosystems. No large-scale
ecological monitoring plan currently exists for these ecosystems.
Work Plan
This project will be accomplished through the interaction and consensus of scientists from EPA
and other agencies, universities, and institutes. Components of the master plan include a list of
agroecosystem classes and indicators to be measured; a sampling design, including use of the
National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) sampling network in EMAP; a total quality
management plan; a logistics plan; a description of the relationship of EMAP-Agroecosystem
sampling to EMAP-Characterization; and descriptions of assessment, data base management, and
reporting activities. This plan will serve as the foundation for national-scale monitoring of
agroecosystems within EMAP.
Oeliverables Time Frame
Journal article on agroecosystem indicators 11/90
Draft national monitoring plan for agroecosystems 11/90
Peer review 1/91
Final national monitoring plan for agroecosystems 4/91
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Section 2.4: Arid Ecosystems
Deserts, grasslands, rangelands, and other arid and semi-arid lands are threatened by a variety of
stressors, including loss of habitat, lack of sound water management practices, salinization, the invasion
of non-indigenous plant species, land use, and non-point source pollution. The critical factors that
determine the condition of arid ecosystems are water status and use, the physical and chemical integrity
of the ecosystem, and the diversity of its plant and animal life. Developing and measuring indictors that
can be used to quantify these factors on a regional basis is the goal of the EMAP Arid Ecosystem Task
Croup.
The long-term goal of arid ecosystem monitoring is to assess the extent and possible cause of regional
problems associated with arid ecosystems. This goal will be achieved by establishing a multivariate
index for indicators of arid ecosystem health and evaluating trends from early-warning indicators.
The first step toward this goal is the development of a national-scale monitoring strategy for arid
ecosystems. This strategy will define procedures by which the EMAP Arid Ecosystem Task Group can
develop indicators, sampling methodology, and classification schemes, and will identify the crucial
issues that should be addressed in assessments of arid ecosystem condition.
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Arid Ecosystems
Project I; Development of Monitoring Strategies for Arid Ecosystems
Project Officer
Bruce jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Principal Investigator
Carl Fox
Desert Research Institute
Reno, NV
(702) 673-7322
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
To develop a master plan for national-scale monitoring of arid ecosystems. This plan will address
monitoring for deserts, grasslands, chaparral woodlands, prairies, and pinyon-juniper
woodlands. No large-scale ecological monitoring plan currently exists for these ecosystems.
Work Plan
This project will be accomplished through a number of meetings and workshops involving
scientists from EPA and other agencies, universities, and institutes. Components of the master
plan include a list of arid ecosystem classes and indicators to be measured; a sampling design; a
total quality management plan; a logistics plan; a description of the relationship of EMAP-Arid
Ecosystem sampling to EMAP-Characterization; and descriptions of assessment, data base
management, and reporting activities.
Deliverable^ Time Frame
Journal article on arid ecosystem indicators 11790
Draft national monitoring plan for arid ecosystems 11/90
Peer review 1/91
Final national monitoring plan for arid ecosystems 4/91
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Section 2.5: Forest Ecosystems
Awareness of and concern for pollution damage to forest ecosystems have increased steadily over the
past several decades. While our knowledge of the effects of specific pollutants on individual forest
species has increased concurrently, the lack of consistent regional-scale monitoring data has hampered
our ability to assess the health or condition of these important natural and commercial resources.
The EMAP Forest Ecosystem Task Group has been working closely with the USDA Forest Service in
developing a joint approach for monitoring forest condition on a regional and national scale. As part of
this process, the two agencies have translated the EMAP program objectives into a series of scientific
questions. These questions will likely serve as the basis for the Task Group's planning and monitoring
activities in the future.
1. What is the status and geographic distribution of forest productivity?
2. What is the status of potential stressors such as air pollution, climate, and land use?
3. What is the relationship between forest productivity and these stressors?
4. Which forests are declining in productivity, where are they located, and what is their rate of
decrease in productivity?
5. What are the relative roles of air pollution, land use, and climate for the forests showing
decreases in productivity?
Two major efforts are under way for EMAP forest monitoring in 1990. The first is a planning effort that
will evaluate indicators of forest health and develop monitoring strategies that are consistent with the
goals and overall design concepts of EMAP and the USDA Forest Service. The second consists of two
projects involved with field data collection: (1) testing quality assurance and data management
procedures on 206 sample sites in New England, and (2) evaluating and testing a full suite of indicators
on 40 sample sites in New England and the southeastern United States. Both projects will be run jointly
with the USDA Forest Service and appropriate agencies from the various states involved.
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Forest Ecosystems
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Forest Ecosystems
Project Officer
Bruce Jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Principal Investigator
Craig Palmer
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
To develop a master plan for a national forest health monitoring program that represents a joint
effort between the USDA Forest Service and EPA. This plan will provide a comprehensive
strategy for forest monitoring in the United States.
Work Plan
The USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS) and EPA will develop a joint national forest health monitoring
program. This effort will be accomplished through a number of meetings and workshops
involving EPA and USDA-FS scientists. An attempt will be made to accommodate the monitoring
needs of both agencies. For example, it is likely that EMAP will use USDA-FS Forest Inventory
and Analysis (FIA) sampling plots as its basis; selection of FIA sites is compatible with the
proposed EMAP systematic grid. Several components of the plan will be developed by work
groups consisting of scientists from both agencies. These components will include selection of a
list of forest classes and indicators to be measured, a sampling design, a total quality management
plan, a logistics plan, a description of the relationship of EMAP-Forests sampling to EMAP-
Characterization, assessments, data base management, and reporting activities.
Deliverable Time Frame
Journal article on forest indicators 11/90
Draft national monitoring plan for forest ecosystems 11/90
Peer review 1/91
Final national monitoring plan for forest ecosystems 4/91
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Forest Ecosystems
Project 2: Field Evaluations of Quality Assurance and Data Base
Management Procedures and Indicators
Project Officer
Bruce Jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Principal Investigator
Jim Wigington
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To determine effectiveness of and to refine quality assurance and data base management
procedures that will be implemented in full-scale field monitoring in 1991, and to test and evaluate
a full suite of forest indicators. Field tests of indicators will help refine methods and interpretive
techniques needed for full-scale monitoring anticipated in New England and the southeastern
United States.
Work Plan
In 1990, the EMAP Forest Ecosystem Task Group, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service
and State governments, will develop a single forest ecosystem monitoring plan for the northeastern
United States. This plan will be implemented after extensive internal reviews by both Agencies as
well as external peer review. The Forest Ecosystem Task Croup will assume responsibility for
(1) implementation plans and procedures, (2) quality assurance and quality control, (3) data
collection and laboratory analyses, and (4) data analysis and reporting. The field efforts associated
with the project will mainly be undertaken by the USDA Forest Service in association with their
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The Task Group will evaluate the effectiveness of
quality assurance and data base procedures. The Task Group will also develop an implementation
plan to test and evaluate a full suite of forest indicators and then conduct prescribed field data
collection of selected indicators. Approximately 20 sample sites will be selected in both New
England and the southeastern United States. The Task Group will also evaluate existing data bases
and utilize appropriate auxiliary data to supplement indicator data collected in the field. A detailed
evaluation of these indicators will follow field data collection.
Deliverable Time Frame
Methods manuals for forest pilot project 5/90
Logistics plan and training manual for forest pilot project 5/90
Northeastern forest monitoring implementation plan 5/90
Quality assurance plan for forest pilot project 5/90
Indicator field evaluation plan for New England and the Southeast 6/90
Data base management plan 6/90
Report on results of indicator evaluationAests 3/91
Annual report on EMAP forest pilot project in the northeastern
United States 8/91
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Section 2.6: Near Coastal Ecosystems
The EMAP Near Coastal Ecosystem Task Group has placed its initial emphasis on estuaries. Estuaries
were selected because they are important spawning and nursery grounds for many valued living
resources, they receive a large proportion of the pollutants discharged into the Nation's waterways,
and their natural circulation patterns tend to concentrate and retain pollutants. The focus of EMAP near
coastal monitoring in 1990 will be a demonstration project in the Mid-Atlantic region. Information from
this demonstration project will be used to refine the EMAP design, and the study itself will serve as a
model for implementing EMAP projects in other study areas and types of ecosystems. The specific
objectives of the Near Coastal Demonstration Project are to
evaluate the utility, sensitivity, and applicability of the near coastal indicators on a regional scale;
determine the effectiveness of the EMAP network design for quantifying the extent and
magnitude of pollution problems in the near coastal environment;
demonstrate the usefulness of results for planning, priority-setting, and determining the
effectiveness of pollution control actions;
develop standardized methods for measuring near coastal indicators that can be transferred to
other study areas and made available to other monitoring and research efforts; and
identify and resolve logistical issues associated with implementing the network design.
The strategy for accomplishing these tasks is to work closely with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's National Status and Trends Program to field test indicators and the
network design in the estuaries of the Virginian Biogeographic Province.
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Near Coastal Ecosystems
Project 1: Development of a Near Coastal Monitoring Implementation Plan
Project Officer
John F. Paul
ERL-Narragansett
(401) 782-3037
Principal Investigator
A.F. Holland
Versar, Inc.
Columbia, MD
(301) 964-9200
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
To develop a research plan that describes the implementation of EMAP for near coastal
ecosystems. The plan will be consistent with the overall objectives of EMAP, but will describe in
detail how the regional implementation will proceed in near coastal ecosystems, starting with the
estuaries in the Virginian Biogeographic Province (Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod) in FY90. The plan
will be developed in concert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Status and Trends Program.
Work Plan
A draft research plan is being prepared that will detail how the program objectives of EMAP can
be implemented on a regional basis for the estuaries of the conterminous United States. Several
one-day workshops were held with scientists from academia and federal, regional, and state
agencies to review indicators appropriate for implementation. A panel of recognized estuarine
scientists will be convened to serve as a technical steering committee during the implementation of
the Near Coastal Demonstration Project in the estuaries of the Virginian Province. This panel will
initially peer review the research plan, then provide technical oversight as the information from
the Demonstration Project is analyzed, assessments with the data are conducted, and national-
scale implementation activities are recommended. Coordination of the Near Coastal Plan with
NOAA will be handled through the EPA/NOAA Joint Committee for Coastal and Marine
Environmental Quality Monitoring.
Deliverable* Time Frame
Draft near coastal implementation plan 3/90
Peer review of near coastal implementation plan 4/90
Workshop to develop assessment strategies 9/90
Draft final research plan for EMAP-Near Coastal monitoring and
assessment program 9/90
Recommendations for national-scale implementation of EMAP in
estuaries 8/91
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Near Coastal Ecosystems
Project 2: Review and Development of Diagnostic Indicators for Marine Ecosystems
Project Officer
Foster L. Mayer
ERL-Gulf Breeze
(904) 932-5311
Principal Investigator
Foster L. Mayer
ERL-Culf Breeze
(904) 932-5311
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop a center for diagnosing marine fish diseases that will provide support for EPA
research and regulatory programs. This center will conduct routine marine toxicological and
histopathological tests and provide support for development of marine indicators to be used by
the EMAP-Near Coastal Task Croup.
Work Plan
A workshop was held in August 1989 to begin development of a strategy for marine bioindicator
research. The draft strategy from this workshop will be used as a nucleus for developing a long-
term marine indicator research strategy for EPA's Office of Research and Development. In
concert with preparation of this long-term strategy, a proposal for the diagnostic center to
support the near coastal monitoring efforts will be developed. Initial development of the
diagnostic center will be through cooperative agreements with recognized institutions; eventually
the center will acquire its own in-house expertise. Annual reports will be produced on the use of
the diagnostic center in support of EMAP and other monitoring and research efforts within EPA.
Deliverables Time Frame
Review article on diagnostic indicators for marine ecosystems:
physiology, biochemistry, and pathology 10/90
Status report on the use of the fish diagnostic center in supporting
EMAP Near Coastal 10/90
Review article on bioindicators for marine systems: individuals,
populations, and communities 10/91
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Near Coastal Ecosystems
Project 3: The Virginian Province Demonstration Project
Project Officer
Steven Schimmel
ERL-Narragansett
(401) 782-3078
Principal Investigator
Steven Schimmel
ERL-Narragansett
(401) 782-3078
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To address EMAP objectives by implementing a regional-scale demonstration project in the
estuaries of the Virginian Biogeographic Province (Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod). As part of this
demonstration project, the utility, sensitivity, and applicability of the EMAP-Near Coastal
indicators will be evaluated on a regional scale; standardized methods for indicator measurements
that can be transferred to other study areas and made available for other monitoring efforts will
be developed; the effectiveness of the EMAP network design for quantifying the extent and
magnitude of pollution problems in the near coastal environment will be determined; logistical
issues associated with implementing the network design will be identified and potentially resolved;
the usefulness of results for planning, priority-setting, and determining the effectiveness of
pollution control actions will be demonstrated; and the value of the EMAP approach and regional-
scale assessments will be demonstrated.
Work Plan
A draft implementation plan describing how to conduct a monitoring and assessment program
that is consistent with the objectives of EMAP will be developed from a number of workshops
and interagency discussions. Existing data and information from the Virginian Province will be
used to select appropriate indicators; demonstration assessments will be performed with the
selected indicators to ensure they are appropriate with respect to the overall program objectives.
Development of the implementation plan will include other activities such as preparation of field
and laboratory methods manuals, quality assurance plans and manuals, and logistics plans.
These activities will be coordinated with other ongoing activities in EMAP to ensure program-level
compatibility. An operational data management system will be developed, reviewed, and
implemented. After all of the plans associated with the demonstration project have been reviewed
and approved, the field component will be initiated.
The deployment of continuously recording dissolved oxygen instrumentation packages will be
initiated in June 1990, followed by fish trawl surveys, water column sampling, and benthic grab
sampling in July, August, and September. The instrumentation packages will be retrieved in
September 1990. A preliminary report on the results of the demonstration project will be ready
for review in February 1991, and a final report will be delivered in June 1991.
Deliverables Time Frame
Interim sampling plan for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 3/90
Logistics plan for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 4/90
Methods manuals for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 4/90
Quality assurance plan for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 4/90
Implementation plan for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 6/90
Data management system for the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 6/90
Preliminary report on the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 2/91
Final report on the Near Coastal Demonstration Project 6/91
Initiation of routine monitoring in the Virginian Province 6/91
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Near Coastal Ecosystems
Project 4: The Louisianian Province Demonstration Project
Project Officer
Kevin Summers
ERL-Gulf Breeze
(904) 932-5311
Principal Investigator
Kevin Summers
ERL-Gulf Breeze
(904) 932-5311
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To continue with the regional implementation plan in estuaries for Near Coastal by conducting a
demonstration project in the Louisianian Biogeographic Province (Gulf of Mexico) in FY91.
Work Plan
Using the experience developed in the preparation of the research plan for the Near Coastal
Demonstration Project in the Virginian Province, an implementation plan will be developed for the
Louisianian Province. This plan will be consistent with the overall EMAP-Near Coastal objectives
delineated in the Near Coastal Implementation Plan, but will incorporate province-specific needs
and experience. The measurements taken during the Virginian Province monitoring activities will
serve as a starting point for indicator selection. It is anticipated that a core suite of indicators will
be common among the regions, but region-specific indicators may also need to be identified. The
work conducted in the Near Coastal Demonstration Project in the Virginian Province for
preparation of field and laboratory manuals, quality assurance plans and manuals, logistics plans,
and data base management systems will enable the implementation in the Louisianian Province to
proceed in an orderly fashion. Monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico will be initiated in FY91, with the
first assessment report available in FY92.
Deliverables Time Frame
Draft program plan for the Louisianian Province Demonstration
Project 10/90
Implementation plan for the Louisianian Province Demonstration
Project 2/91
Final program plan for the Louisianian Province Demonstration Project 4/91
Initiation of Louisianian Province field sampling 6/91
Preliminary report on the Louisianian Province Demonstration Project 2/92
Final report on the Louisianian Province Demonstration Project 6/92
Initiation of routine monitoring in the Louisianian Province 6/92
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Section 2.7: Surface Water Ecosystems
Lakes, rivers, and streams are important natural resources both from the human health and ecological
perspectives. While there are many Federal, State, and local programs aimed at controlling pollutant
inputs to these systems, currently there are insufficient data to assess the effectiveness of such
programs in protecting biological integrity of surface waters. A lack of standardized methods and
statistically based designs makes most current monitoring programs inadequate for quantitatively
determining the status of these resources on regional scales or for detecting changes in that status. The
EMAP Surface Water Ecosystem Task Croup will attempt to fill this gap.
The primary goal of this Task Croup is to provide unbiased estimates of the current ecological condition
of lakes and streams and changes or trends in these conditions. This overall goal is supported by two
specific objectives:
(1) to assess whether regulatory policies and programs aimed at maintaining water quality and
biological integrity in aquatic systems are having the expected results on ecosystem condition
on regional and national scales, and
(2) to provide limited diagnosis of likely causes of current conditions and changes in those
conditions in lakes and streams.
The Surface Water Ecosystem Task Croup is drawing on the experience resulting from EPA's
involvement in the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP); previously undertaken
regional-scale surveys of surface water chemistry should provide a good basis for building a regional-
scale monitoring network of the type needed in EMAP.
The Surface Water Ecosystem Task Croup will undertake a planning and design effort to develop a
strategy for a nationwide surface water monitoring program targeted at lakes and streams. As part of
this planning effort, the Task Group will evaluate potential indicators, existing networks and data bases,
and logistical and quality assurance approaches. The strategy will emphasize coordination of the EMAP
surface water monitoring efforts with those in EPA and other Federal agencies.
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Surface Water Ecosystems
Project 1: Assessment of Changes in Surface Water Chemistry
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
John Stoddard
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
This task is specifically designed to monitor the effects of acidic deposition on surface waters. It
will provide regional assessments of patterns and trends in surface water chemistry in the low
acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) systems of approximately 10 regions of the nation. A specific
objective of this task is to assess the relationship between changes in regional acidic deposition
and changes in regional surface water condition.
Work Plan
The foundation of the project will be a spatially extensive network of low ANC surface water sites
(both lakes and streams), which are sampled annually for complete major ion chemistry, aluminum
species, dissolved carbon, and several other variables likely to respond to changes in acidic
deposition. Regions selected for monitoring will be those expected to experience changes in the
amount of acidic deposition they receive, as a result of changes in the Clean Air Act (e.g., the
Northeast), or those that will be unaffected by new regulations (e.g., the West). Information from
these spatially extensive sites will be used to determine regional changes in acid-base status,
which can be related to regional changes in sulfur, nitrogen, and base cation deposition.
In addition, the monitoring network will include in each region a small number of sites that are
sampled more than once per year. These sites will be associated in a statistically rigorous manner
with subpopulations of sites in the spatially extensive network. Data from these sites will be used
to assess changes in surface waters in non-index periods (e.g., changes in the frequency and
extent of spring acidic episodes) and to help interpret regional changes observed in the spatially
extensive network. Regions will be prioritized to allow phased implementation of sampling at both
types of sites.
Deliverables Time Frame
Plan for converting the NAPAP Aquatic Effects Long-Term Monitoring
(LTM) program into Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems
(TIME) 6/90
Statistical summary of long-term monitoring data (LTM data report) 10/90
TIME first annual report (review draft) 10/92
TIME first annual report (final draft) 3/93
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Surface Water Ecosystems
Project 2: Indicators of Surface Water Condition
Protect Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
Robert Hughes
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop a comprehensive strategy for using indicators of surface water condition; to define
and implement a process for selecting a core set of currently available indicators of surface water
condition; and to establish and implement a strategy for improving upon existing indicators and
developing new indicators of surface water condition.
Work Plan
Producing an assessment of surface water condition requires a comprehensive strategy for
selecting from the myriad of measurements that can be made and reducing these data into a
concise statement about surface water condition. Endpoints that reflect societal and scientific
concerns about surface water condition will be examined. A combination of biological, chemical,
and physical measurements, analyses, and indices will be studied to address these concerns.
Through the use of literature, existing data bases, and field tests, the EMAP-Surface Waters Task
Croup will develop an indicator strategy, evaluate the suitability of proposed indicators,
determine expected spatial and temporal variability, develop regional modifications for selected
indicators, and select the most appropriate criteria for establishing a healthy-unhealthy boundary
for each indicator. A long-term program will include improving existing indicators, developing
new indicators, and incorporating these indicators into EMAP. This work will be performed in
coordination with aquatic scientists in other federal and state agencies.
Deliverables Time Frame
Journal article on regional use of index of biotic integrity (IBI) for water
resource assessments 2/90
Journal article on IBI modification 3/90
Journal article on fish monitoring in acid-sensitive systems 3/90
Status report on the evaluation of proposed indicators for surface
waters 6/90
Journal article on IBI trends 12/90
Journal article on refinement of indices of lake health 1/91
Journal article on conceptual basis of biological measures of health 6/91
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Surface Water Ecosystems
Project 3: Design and Implementation of Surface Water Monitoring
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigators
Steven Paulsen
ERC-University of Nevada-Las Vegas
(702) 739-3382
David Larsen
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To design and plan the implementation of a national surface water status and trends program. A
framework will be developed that will enable use of biological, chemical, and physical indicators to
quantify the current regional and national ecological condition of lakes and streams as well as
changes or trends in these conditions. A long-term monitoring program based on this design will
be implemented and, in conjunction with the indicator strategy, will produce annual reports on
the condition of surface waters and limited diagnosis of possible causes of current condition or
changes in condition.
Work Plan
The Surface Water Task Croup will evaluate the EMAP design in order to ensure that the
objectives and approach for monitoring and assessment in surface waters are consistent with the
overall program. Source materials for identifying lake and stream resources will be collected; rules
for selecting lake and stream sample units and their inclusion probabilities, subpopulation
classifications, and hexagon and watershed characterization requirements will be identified; and
implementation guidelines will be developed. The rules and guidelines will be tested during a Lake
Demonstration Pilot to be conducted in FY91; a Stream Demonstration Pilot is planned for FY93.
Subsequently, annual surveys of a suite of biological, chemical, and physical indicators in these
aquatic resources will provide data for estimates of national and regional conditions that will be
reported annually. More in-depth interpretive reports will be produced on a regular but less
frequent basis.
Deliverable Time Frame
EMAP strategy for surface water monitoring 7/90
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Surface Water Ecosystems
Project 4: Logistics and Total Quality Management for Surface Water Ecosystems
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
John Baker
Lockheed-ESC
(702) 734-3253
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop and implement the long-term logistics and total quality management approach for
EMAP-Surface Waters.
Work Plan
EMAP-Surface Waters is a long-term, national monitoring effort. As such, it will monitor the
biological, chemical, and physical condition of a statistically representative subset of the Nation's
lakes and streams each year. This effort poses considerable logistical and quality assurance
challenges. Sampling these systems in consistent and comparable manners across the country
during a short index period each summer will be difficult. Working with federal, state, and private
organizations, a comprehensive plan will be developed and implemented for gaining site access,
coordinating field logistics, identifying field and laboratory procedures and analyses, training field
crews, handling sample transport, and tracking, analyzing, and retrieving data. An extensive effort
devoted to data quality assurance will begin with the development of data quality objectives, which
are to be established prior to field implementation. Procedures for tracking the quality of data
during its production at various locations (quality control) will be developed, refined, and
implemented. The approach and statistical procedures for assessing data quality will be identified,
developed, and implemented. Given the emphasis on biological indicators in EMAP, particular
attention will be given to the control and assessment of the quality of quantitative and descriptive
biological data. Total quality management will be an integral part of EMAP-Surface Waters. The
concepts of quality control, assessment, and improvement will be extended from their applications
in data quality to the entire program.
Deliverables Time Frame
Status report: Data quality objectives for surface waters 6/90
Draft logistics plan 11/90
Draft quality assurance plan for monitoring surface waters 11/90
Draft pilot implementation plan for surface waters 11/90
Final logistics plan for monitoring surface waters 3/91
Final quality assurance plan for monitoring surface waters 3/91
Final pilot implementation plan for surface waters 4/91
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Section 2.8: Wetland Ecosystems
Wetlands are productive, diverse ecosystems that can be instrumental in improving water quality
through the interception of sediments, pollution immobilization, and the limited uptake of various
pollutants and nutrients carried in flowing waters. They also aid in flood storage and shoreline
stabilization and are valuable habitat for waterfowl, commercial fisheries, and numerous endangered
species.
The EMAP Wetland Ecosystem Task Group is currently working with the Department of Interior's
National Wetlands Inventory and other wetland research programs within EPA to develop a statistically
sound monitoring plan that meets the needs of both agencies. A series of meetings and workshops will
result in the production of a "synthesis" document. This document will describe current approaches to
determining the condition of wetland ecosystems, including the classification schemes and indicators
used, and will propose a strategy for EMAP wetlands monitoring.
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Wetland Ecosystems
Project 1: Development of Monitoring Strategies for Wetland Ecosystems
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
Nancy Leibowitz
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 753-6221
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop a research plan for national-scale monitoring and assessment of wetland ecosystems.
The stress, exposure, and response indicators, network design, and sampling strategy for
wetlands will be finalized. Existing data sets will be analyzed to assess both (1) the sensitivity of
various metrics for detecting known levels of stress and (2) the spatial and temporal variability of
proposed wetland indicators of condition. Interagency coordination with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's National Wetland Inventory will be pursued.
Work Plan
To meet short-term (FY90) objectives, EMAP-Wetlands will (1) develop an implementation plan and
(2) evaluate proposed wetland indicators of condition using existing data. The EMAP-Wetlands
implementation plan will be developed following consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wetland Inventory personnel, EPA quality assurance personnel, logistics personnel, and
data base management experts. The draft research plan will be peer reviewed and revised as
necessary. The suitability of incorporating both existing wetland sampling networks and long-
term monitoring sites into the EMAP frame will be evaluated. Accessibility of data and data quality
of these sites also will be evaluated. In FY90 and 91, the sensitivity and spatial and temporal
variation of proposed indicators will be evaluated using existing data sets. Association analyses,
such as regression and cluster analyses, will be used when appropriate to evaluate indicator
sensitivity to known levels of stress. Interagency coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's National Wetland Inventory will continue as each agency's role in EMAP-Wetlands is
addressed and defined.
Deliverable^ Time Frame
Implementation strategy for monitoring wetland ecosystems 6/91
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SECTION 3
ASSESSMENT
Section
Page
3.1 Program Coordination 3-3
Project 1: Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program Planning
for EMAP 3-4
Project 2: Logistics Program Planning for EMAP 3-5
Project 3: EMAP Information Management 3-6
Project 4: EMAP International Activities: Regional Assessment of Pollution
Sources and Effects in Nepal 3-7
Project 5: Technology Transfer 3-8
3.2 Integrated Assessment 3-9
Project 1: Integration 3-10
Project 2: The Applicability of Indices to Ecological Status Assessments 3-11
Project 3: EMAP Assessment Strategy 3-12
Project 4: Case Studies 3-1 3
Project 5: Near Coastal Model Integrated Assessment 3-14
Project 6: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Forest Ecosystems 3-16
Project 7: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Arid Ecosystems 3-1 7
Project 8: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Agroecosystems 3-18
Project 9: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Surface Water and
Wetland Ecosystems 3-19
3.3 Monitoring Design and Research 3-20
Project 1: Spatial Statistics 3-21
Project 2: Temporal Statistics 3-22
Project 3: Development of the EMAP Sampling Grid 3-23
Project 4: Development of the Design Aspects of EMAP 3-24
Project 5: Research Strategy for Developing Indicators of Ecological Condition 3-25
Project 6: International Symposium on Indicators of Ecological Condition 3-26
Project 7: Biodiversity '. 3-27
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Assessment
EMAP, like any effective monitoring program, must be able to translate the data it collects into forms that
the public and other user communities can both understand and use. The reports expected to be
produced by EMAP fall into two categories: (1) a series of Annual Statistical Summaries and (2) periodic
Integrated Assessment Reports of ecological status and trends, that take into consideration user needs
and requirements.
The statistical summaries are aimed at a broad audience, including interested government and non-
government scientists, EPA senior management, environmental groups, the public, Congress, and the
President. These summaries will not provide interpretations of the data, but will serve as a vehicle for
routine dissemination of data and status and trends information. The assessment reports will be
produced every four to five years and will attempt to identify relationships, both spatial and temporal,
between data collected on trends in ecosystem condition and trends in stresses such as pollution.
These reports will address questions concerning likely causes of adverse changes and the effectiveness
of control and mitigation strategies. They wili primarily be used by policymakers and resource
managers within EPA and other agencies.
!n order to produce these reports, EMAP has developed several centralized activities within the
program to integrate, interpret, analyze, and report the data collected by the various EMAP monitoring
efforts. This overall EMAP assessment approach is characterized by three distinct efforts: (1) program
coordination, (2) integrated assessment, and (3) monitoring design and research.
A 1990 budget summary for EMAP assessment follows.
1990 Budget Summary for Assessment Activities
Major EMAP Activity R&O Funds ($1000s) % Total
Program Coordination 1556.3 8.0
Integration and Assessment 748.0 3.9
Monitoring Design and Research 1926.5 9.9
TOTAL 4230.8 21.8
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Section 3.1: Program Coordination
The capability to integrate data and other information from a wide variety of sources is essential if EMAP
is to produce its data summaries and integrated assessment reports. In order for this integration to be
effective, a certain level of coordination across the program must be assured. Consistency in areas
such as quality assurance, logistics (field operations), data and information management, and
communications (technology transfer) is essential if EMAP is to efficiently assemble and disseminate
information from a wide variety of monitoring activities.
The purpose of the Program Coordination projects is to ensure this consistency by providing guidance
and support to the individuals responsible for planning, conducting, and reporting results from
monitoring activities within EMAP. This support includes providing guidance for the development of
individual monitoring implementation plans; reviewing those plans for consistency with EMAP, ORD,
and Agency policies; and providing timely guidance on new policies and procedures that might impact
or serve to improve EMAP monitoring operations. In 1990, most of these projects will concentrate on
the development of plans and guidance documents to assist the ecosystem Task Groups in their
planning and monitoring activities.
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Program Coordination
Project 1: Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program Planning for EMAP
Project Officer
Robert Craves
EMSL-Cincinnati
(513) 569-7315
Principal Investigator
TBA
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The overall objective of the EMAP-Total Quality Management (TQM) Coordination Croup is to
provide guidance, support, and overview on quality assurance (QA) and control (QC)
procedures and planning to the monitoring and assessment activities in EMAP. The initial phase
of EMAP QA planning is the development of a Quality Assurance Program Plan that will provide a
framework that the ecosystem Task Groups can use as they plan and implement the quality
assurance aspects of their data collection and analysis activities.
Work Plan
The EMAP Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) will be developed through a series of
workshops and meetings and will be extensively reviewed both internally and externally. The
QAPP is a policy document that will set the tone for QA activities within EMAP. This document
will not only reflect EMAP's commitment to quality but will also provide specific mechanisms and
policy guidance by which quality is to be maintained, quantified, and documented. Because
EMAP is an interdisciplinary program of national scale, the QAPP will present an integrated
strategy for guiding and coordinating QA activities across ecosystems, regions, and programmatic
lines.
The QAPP will define policies and procedures for the development and use of program QA
objectives, QA tools such as data quality objectives, and total quality management. This plan will
be updated on a regular basis to integrate changes in program management, structure-specific
objectives, and resources.
In addition to the development of the EMAP QAPP, the TQM Coordination Group will provide
specific guidance and support to EMAP data collection and analysis activities. In 1990, the
emphasis will be on support for the near coastal and forest demonstration projects and the
landscape characterization effort. This will include assistance in developing and reviewing QA
project plans and methods manuals for these activities.
Deliverables Time Frame
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Quality Assurance
Program Plan 7/90
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Program Coordination
Project 2: Logistics Program Planning for EMAP
Project Officer
Wes Kinney
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Principal Investigator
John Baker
Lockheed-ESC
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 734-3253
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
A coordinated approach toward field operations (logistics) will greatly enhance the effectiveness
of data collection activities within the overall EMAP effort. Therefore, the long-term objective of
the EMAP Logistics Coordination Croup is to provide guidance and support to the ecosystem
Task Groups for aspects of field operations and to enhance and economize EMAP field
monitoring efforts through integrated team approaches.
Work Plan
The bulk of this project's activities in 1990 is associated with the development of an EMAP
logistics overview and guidance document. This document will include standard formats,
checklists, and review processes for use by the individual ecosystem Task Croups in the
development of the logistics portions of their monitoring and implementation plans. The
information in this document should enable a level of consistency to be maintained in the
approaches used for logistics and should ensure that all the essential procedures are followed.
In addition to the logistics overview and guidance document, the EMAP Logistics Coordination
Croup will also develop several other key documents that will identify strategies for making
effective use of personnel in conducting field sampling operations. One of these documents is an
EMAP logistics proposal to the EPA Regional Offices. The Regional Offices are an integral part of
EPA's overall field operations. Therefore, because EMAP is regional in scale, it is important that
the regions be involved in planning and implementing EMAP monitoring activities. The EMAP
logistics proposal to the EPA Regions will be the initial step toward regional involvement in EMAP
field operations.
Deliverable
Data base proprietary information strategy
EMAP logistics overview and guidance document
Six-year options and alternatives for EMAP logistics
EMAP logistics proposal to EPA Regions
Time Frame
3/90
7/90
8/90
11/90
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Program Coordination
Project 3: EMAP Information Management
Project Officers
Eugene Meier (702/798-2237)
Steve Greenfield (702/798-2608)
Mason Hewitt (702/798-2377)
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
Principal Investigators
Steve Greenfield (702/798-2608) Ed Barrows
Mason Hewitt (702/798-2377) NSI Technologies
EMSL-LV (AREAL-RTP)
Las Vegas, NV (919) 541-2293
Rod Slagle Jeff Rosen
Lockheed-ESC Computer Sciences Corporation
Las Vegas, NV (Narragansett, Rl)
(702) 734-3340 (401) 782-3048
Chuck Liff Jonathan Day
Utah State University Amethyst Corporation
(ERL-Corvallis) (Chicago, IL)
(503) 757-4666 (312) 726-4645
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop a comprehensive strategy and implementation plan for information management within
EMAP; to provide support in the development of data base management systems for individual
ecosystems; to perform a user needs analysis for EMAP data users; and to begin development of
an information management system for EMAP.
Work Plan
An Information Management Committee consisting of members from the Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory-Las Vegas (EMSL-LV), Atmospheric Research Exposure and Assessment
Laboratory-Research Triangle Park (AREAL-RTP), ERL-Corvallis, and the USDA Agricultural
Research Service (USDA/ARS) has been formed to facilitate development of the plan and to provide
guidance to individual ecosystem Task Groups. EMSL-LV will develop an overall strategy for
information management. The plan will include sections on development of a central data base
catalog, hardware and software requirements, data base standards, distributed network design,
and CIS standards. With assistance from the Office of Information Resource Management, a user
needs analysis will be performed to determine hardware, software, and network design needs.
EMSL-LV and AREAL-RTP will develop and test a framework for a central catalog that will allow
EMAP users to access specific data bases. The development of the EMAP information management
system will be phased in over a five-year period, with early emphasis on supporting FY90 field
sampling in forest and near coastal ecosystems.
Deliverable Time Frame
Geographic Information Systems conceptual plan 6/90
Hardware/software systems needs (interim resources requirements plan) 10/90
Initial information transfer guidance document 10/90
Initial data catalogue/index system design plan 11/90
Data base management standards (interim status report) 12/90
Results of initial information transfer protocol tests 12/90
EMAP information management plan 2/91
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Program Coordination
Project 4: EMAP International Activities: Regional Assessment of
Pollution Sources and Effects in Nepal
Project Officer
Chris Saint
EPA/OMMSQA-HQ
(202) 382-5772
Principal Investigators
Alan Jenkins
Institute of Hydrology
United Kingdom
011-44-4-9138800
Jack Cosby
Duke University
Durham, NC
(919) 684-6090
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
The overall goals of the EMAP international effort are to encourage the development of global-scale
environmental monitoring networks and to initiate the extension of the EMAP concept on an
international basis. This project represents an initial effort aimed at meeting these broad goals. The
specific objectives of this project are to (1) establish a framework for water quality monitoring
within Nepal, (2) provide a description of water quality at several "problem" sites, and (3) begin a
species inventory of aquatic biota at several sites with differing water quality in an attempt to
determine an index of water quality based on biological diversity.
Work Plan
The project planned is a joint effort among the EPA, Duke University, The Institute of Hydrology in
the United Kingdom, and the Government of Nepal. A comprehensive water quality survey will be
conducted on several catchments in Nepal. The focus of the survey will be those sites identified
as "problem" areas in an initial survey scheduled for the summer of 1990.
Samples will be collected over a three- to four-week period, when streamflow is low and
concentrations of many pollutants are expected to be maximal (autumn 1990 or spring 1991).
These samples will be analyzed for heavy metals, major ions, and pesticides. Additional
measurements will be made in the field, including concentrations of nitrate and dissolved oxygen,
specific conductivity, pH, and temperature. Local scientists will be trained to take samples and
operate field instruments to provide a basis for continuity of monitoring at selected sites, after this
project is completed. At each sampling site, aquatic biota will be examined to establish the species
diversity under differing water quality.
The chemical and biological data bases collected will be analyzed jointly with Nepalese scientists to
establish (1) the relationships between biology and water quality, (2) the geographical distribution
of water quality problems, and (3) a rationale for a representative network of sites to monitor
pollution and ecosystem condition.
Deliverables Time Frame
Report on the relationship of water quality and the diversity of aquatic
biota for selected sites in Nepal 12/91
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Program Coordination
Project 5: Technology Transfer
Project Officer
Chris Saint
EPA/OMMSQA-DC
(202) 382-5772
Principal Investigator
Chris Saint
EPA/OMMSQA-DC
(202) 382-5772
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
EMAP will serve a wide spectrum of data users: the public, decisionmakers who require
information to set environmental policy, program managers who must assign priorities to research
and monitoring projects, scientists who desire a broader understanding of ecosystems, and
managers and analysts who require an objective basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the
Nation's environmental policies. Effective communication of program findings to these data users
is critical to the usefulness of the program. In addition, the indicator strategies, methods manuals,
and statistical concepts for the national/regional program should be prepared so that state
governments and other decisionmakers can also use them to assess status and trends in
subregional resources.
Work Plan
The first step in this project is to produce a communications strategy that outlines how EMAP can
best inform states, regions, international organizations, and non-EPA officials of the benefits of
EMAP and its potential usefulness to them. Such a strategy may include the use of brochures,
videotapes, presentations at professional meetings, official briefings, and technical documents. It
is critical that the strategy alleviate the potential problem of sending conflicting signals to states
and other users regarding capabilities, opportunities for cooperative funding, potential burdens
on monitoring staffs, and other issues that can result from multiple program contacts who are not
fully cognizant of overall program plans and commitments. Technology transfer protocols must
also be consistent with EPA's overall policy and procedures with respect to the states, other
federal agencies, Congress, and foreign governments.
Deliverables Time Frame
EMAP Communication Strategy 6/90
EMAP Management Strategy 6/90
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Section 3.2: Integrated Assessment
Integrated assessment is an integral part of the overall EMAP assessment strategy and is the heart of the
process that will produce the statistical summaries and integrated assessment reports. The objectives
of these assessments are to
integrate indicators of stress, exposure, and ecological response across ecosystems to
determine the status of ecological resources;
identify possible causes of poor, deteriorating, or improving conditions;
detect trends across ecological resources on a regional scale;
identify emerging problems and possible causes; and
assess the relationships between regulatory/control programs and trends in ecological
conditions.
A major component of integrated assessment is the integration function. Integration is the inclusion and
synthesis of information on indicators of stress, exposure, and response within and among
ecosystems and with monitoring data from other programs to determine relationships among these
indicators. Integrated assessments use these data to answer policy-relevant questions that address
specific problems of interest to EMAP clients and information users.
In 1990, the EMAP integrated assessment effort will develop the necessary tools and capabilities
through a number of planning efforts and test these capabilities through a series of case studies and
demonstration projects. These demonstrations will provide potential users of EMAP information with
examples of the type of output EMAP can produce and will allow EMAP scientists to evaluate their
integration and assessment strategies.
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Integrated Assessment
Project 1: Integration
Project Officer
Jay Messer
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0150
Principal Investigator
Dean Carpenter
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0540
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
EMAP focuses on measurements of biological structure and function to assess the condition of
ecosystems and on ambient measurements of pollutants and habitat degradation to indicate likely
causes of poor or changing condition. Each ecosystem Task Croup will need data collected by
the Air and Deposition, Characterization, and other Task Croups as well as data collected outside
the program to assess potential sources of stress to ecosystems. This project will examine the
data needs of each ecosystem Task Group and how such data can be acquired most cost-
effectively. Experience has shown that unless such needs are proactively identified and
prioritized early in program planning, the needed data are subsequently found to be absent or
insufficient.
Work Plan
In FY90, the Integration Coordination Croup will (1) determine and assess what external data are
needed by each ecosystem Task Group; (2) prioritize data needs so that activities can proceed in
the most efficient manner for integration; (3) assist in evaluating alternative sources of data; and
(4) evaluate and develop cost-effective alternatives for integrating field monitoring activities among
ecosystem Task Groups. A matrix of the response, exposure, and habitat indicators will be
prepared based on the indicator strategy lists. The indicators will be compared across Task
Groups to determine whether common data needs among groups exist and whether dates and
priorities for implementing monitoring activities differ. The matrix will be expanded to include data
requested or provided by other agencies and data proposed to be measured outside the
hexagon, and will be circulated among Task Groups (with areas of commonality highlighted) to
facilitate Task Group interaction and to avoid redundancy. Similar matrices will be developed for
field monitoring, data analysis, diagnostic procedures, and indicator development techniques to
increase the cost efficiency of research projects. Data requirements for assessments to be
prepared in later years by each Task Group will be identified from the example Integrated
Assessment reports and will be updated as these reports are prepared and circulated among the
Task Groups. As the program develops, the Integration and Assessment Coordinator will
conduct specialty workshops on topics of joint interest among Task Groups to promote
integration of approaches and data. As field data become available, exploratory analysis
workshops will be conducted to identify potential inter-ecosystem relationships.
Deliverable Time Frame
Report on ecological indicators for determining condition in ecosystems 6/90
Conceptual plan for EMAP 7/90
Draft EMAP integration plan 9/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 2: The Applicability of Indices to Ecological Status Assessments
Project Officer
Jay Messer
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0150
Principal Investigator
William Warren-Hicks
Kilkelly Environmental Associates
Raleigh, NC
(919) 781-3150
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
Indices are mathematical aggregations of indicator values that are used to summarize information
about ecosystem condition. Although indices, such as species diversity indices and the Index of
Biotic Integrity, have been developed, indices of ecosystem condition are not widely available,
nor can they be related directly to subnominal, marginal, or nominal ecological condition. The
objective of this research is to define the necessary criteria for identifying suitable indices,
potential approaches for formulating these indices, and candidate indices for further research.
Work Plan
Based on the indicators proposed by the ecosystem Task Croups for implementation or
research, criteria for the development of suitable indices will be formulated and used to screen
existing indices for applicability. Available indices then will be evaluated with respect to their
ability to (1) accurately reflect poor ecosystem condition when it exists, (2) distinguish situations
for which many indicators are only slightly below acceptable values from those for which only
one or two are distinctly subnominal and (3) avoid false positives. The overall need for indices in
a population-based approach also will be evaluated. Evaluation techniques are expected to
include reviews of both case studies and statistical simulations using data collected by other
investigators. Possible approaches for developing example indices will be formulated. A final
report will be prepared that describes the characteristics of appropriate indices for EMAP,
discusses the strengths and deficiencies of existing indices based on these criteria, and provides
a list of potential candidates for further research. The final deliverable will be a journal article
published in the peer-reviewed literature.
Deliverable Time Frame
Journal article on the applicability of indices to ecological status
assessments 8/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 3: EMAP Assessment Strategy
Project Officer
Jay Messer
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0150
Principal Investigator
Kent Thornton
FTN Associates
Little Rock, AR
(501) 225-7779
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The EMAP Assessment Strategy will provide a framework for (1) defining the types of policy-
relevant questions that can be addressed by EMAP; (2) providing integrated assessment reports
on status and trends in the condition of ecological resources; (3) identifying possible causes for
poor, deteriorating, or improving conditions; (4) detecting emerging problems, their possible
causes, and the potential risk to ecosystems; and (5) promoting the use of tools and information
for assessing the relationships between regulatory and control programs and the reduction of risk
to ecological systems. EMAP research and assessment activities will develop and refine
techniques for identifying ecological hazards, assessing exposure, and characterizing risks to
ecological resources.
Work Plan
A five-year EMAP Assessment Strategy will be formulated, focusing on seven areas: (1) defining
the questions that can or cannot be addressed by EMAP; (2) formulating criteria to determine if
the questions have been satisfactorily answered; (3) identifying critical data gaps; (4) evaluating
existing diagnostic tools; (5) developing a protocol for conducting integrated ecological
assessments; (6) identifying appropriate formats and displays for presenting EMAP results to
decisionmakers and the public; and (7) presenting illustrative examples of how EMAP will assess
current status and trends in the condition of the Nation's ecological resources.
The types of questions that can or cannot be defined by EMAP will be identified based on the
EMAP network design and indicator documents and on questions identified by the individual
ecosystem Task Groups as well as Headquarters personnel. Interactions with the Program
Offices will be used to refine these questions. Data quality objectives (DQOs) will be established
for each indicator, which will provide the criteria for users to determine if the resulting data will
satisfactorily address their questions. Data gaps in existing networks will be compared across
ecosystems to determine which data gaps are critical for integration among ecosystems and for
development of associations among stress, exposure, and response indicators. Limitations in
existing predictive and diagnostic techniques for identifying emerging problems and their potential
causal factors also will be identified. These techniques will be evaluated and categorized as
screening, empirical, and process-oriented techniques, and the most appropriate ones will be
selected for refinement for application in EMAP. Finally, the strategy will focus on refining
presentation and display procedures for assessment results. The concept of risk communication
will be an integral part of this activity and, consistent with the ecological risk assessment theme,
will strive to minimize the potential for misinterpretation and miscomrnunication of results. This
Assessment Strategy will enable EMAP to provide the tools and data needed to improve ecological
risk assessments.
Deliverable Time Frame
Draft EMAP assessment strategy 2/90
Final assessment strategy 6/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 4: Case Studies
Project Officer
Jay Messer
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0150
Principal Investigator
Kent Thornton
FTN Associates
Little Rock, AR
(501) 225-7779
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
EMAP will produce two types of reports, Annual Statistical Summary Reports and periodic
Integrated Assessment Reports. The Annual Reports will describe the indicators monitored within
EMAP and the data quality objectives (DQOs) that guide their measurement, as well as provide
graphic displays of results with known levels of associated uncertainty. Initially, "mock ups" of
the annual reports will be prepared as examples or 'case studies" of the information that will be
provided for each ecological resource when EMAP is fully implemented. These example Annual
Statistical Summary Reports will inform potential users of EMAP data as to what will and will not be
produced within EMAP and will aid in ensuring the ultimate design will meet users' needs. The
objective of this project is to provide a guidance document to aid each Task Croup in developing
and preparing these example Annual Statistical Summary Reports.
Work Plan
Guidance, which will explain the purpose and format, will be prepared for each Task Group to
ensure continuity, consistency, and comparability among the example Annual Statistical Summary
Reports. The audience for these reports is anticipated to be Congressional staff members, the
EPA Administrator, scientific administrators, and the informed lay public. The guidance will
include how to prepare and present questions that EMAP will and will not answer (based on the
EMAP goals and objectives, indicators being monitored by each Task Group, and the monitoring
network design). Each Task Group will be asked to include in the reports the DQOs for the
indicators proposed for monitoring, so that the users can decide whether the resolution
proposed for these indicators will satisfy their needs. The guidance also will discuss the types of
illustrative examples to include in the reports, such as frequency distributions, descriptive
statistics, spatial displays and maps, indices, and associations among response and
exposure/habitat indicators. An outline for the major sections of the Annual Statistical Summary
Report will be included as part of the guidance.
Deliverable* Time Frame
Guidance document for example Annual Statistical Summary Reports 2/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 5: Near Coastal Model Integrated Assessment
Project Officer
Jay Messer
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-0150
Principal Investigator
A.F. Holland
Versar
Columbia, MD
(301) 964-9200
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The EMAP approach will be evaluated in a near coastal demonstration project in the Virginian
Biogeographic Province in the summer of 1990. A model integrated assessment will show how
EMAP data from the Virginian Province might be displayed and used to answer assessment
questions related to the current status of estuaries or the relationships between watershed land
use and estuarine conditions or atmospheric deposition estuarine conditions that point to likely
causes for patterns or trends in regional estuarine condition.
Work Plan
A synthetic data set developed for dissolved oxygen patterns in the Chesapeake Bay and other
large estuaries, along with a Monte Carlo sampling algorithm, will be used to refine the Near
Coastal network sampling approach with respect to sampling frequency, duration, and temporal
and spatial variability. This synthetic data set will be augmented with data on response indicators
such as benthic species composition, exposure indicators such as sediment contaminant levels,
and stress indicators such as land use and atmospheric deposition. The synthetic data set will be
modified to reflect the distribution of system attributes ranging from small to large estuaries and
the distribution of land use and deposition species throughout the Virginian Province. Existing
data will be screened for indicator ranges, station locations, sampling frequency, period of record,
and system types, and also will be used to augment the synthetic data set. The data set will be
formulated to contain realistic associations among response indicators and among exposure and
response indicators. Samples will be drawn from this data set using an interpenetrating frame.
Association analyses such as regression and cluster analyses will be used to determine
relationships among indicators and to test detectability of trends using different levels of
spatialAemporal variability in the data. The synthetic data set also will be used to investigate the
associations between watershed land use and nutrient loadings, nutrient loadings and response
indicators, and watershed land use and response indicators. Relationships between atmospheric
deposition response surfaces and the distribution of response indicators will be evaluated using
pattern recognition analyses.
This information will be presented in the form of a model integrated assessment, which will
emphasize presentation of the results - how these data can be displayed to show current status
and trends in indicators of ecological condition. Distribution functions can be used to indicate the
proportion of estuaries in the region with indicator values less than some criterion value; pie
charts and stacked bar charts can be used to indicate the proportion of estuaries with values of
response or exposure indicators in various categories; and spatial displays (e.g., maps)
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Integrated Assessment
can be used to identify patterns in stress, exposure, and response indicators with values in
various categories. Trends in indicator values might be presented as changes in lower quartile or
median values through time or changes in categories in stacked bar charts. This report will
provide an example of the questions EMAP can and cannot answer, the presentation of data to
decisionmakers, and potential refinements in the network design.
Deliverables Time Frame
Model Integrated Assessment for near coastal estuaries 8/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 6: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Forest Ecosystems
Project Officer
Barry Martin
AREAL-RTP
(919) 541-4386
Principal Investigator
Kurt Ritters
NSI Technologies (AREAL-RTP)
(919) 541-1935
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The objective of this project is to produce an example of an Annual Statistical Summary Report for
forest ecosystems. The intent is to use selected stress, exposure, and response indicators to
illustrate how information on the condition of forested ecosystems will be presented annually to
decisionmakers and the public. These example presentation formats will permit more effective
communication between the Forest Task Group and the intended audiences.
Work Plan
Existing and synthetic data will be presented for selected stress, exposure, and response
indicators in forest ecosystems. The report is being prepared to illustrate how forest condition
indicators might be displayed and presented when the EMAP forest monitoring network is fully
implemented. As such, it is intended only as an example of an annual statistical summary report.
The example report will include descriptive statistics used to illustrate the landscape and regional
scale patterns of forest ecosystem condition that can be obtained from the EMAP network design.
These descriptive statistics will be presented as pie charts of forest condition (e.g., good,
marginal, poor) for each major forest type in a region, spatial maps showing the geographic
distribution of various condition indicators, histograms and line graphs showing the trend in
forest condition indicators over time, cumulative frequency distributions showing the proportion
of the forest resource as a function of the condition indicator, and other population-based
presentation formats. The example report will indicate the types of questions EMAP has been
designed to answer, how the data will be displayed in the annual report, and the general format of
an Annual Statistical Summary Report. This example report will be used to initiate discussions
with scientific administrators, policy analysts, and various public organizations on better
techniques for displaying and presenting EMAP data.
Deliverables Time Frame
Final annual statistical summary example for forest ecosystems 6/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 7: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Arid Ecosystems
Project Officer
Bruce Jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Principal Investigator
Carl Fox
Desert Research Institute
Reno, NV
(702) 673-7322
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The objective of this project is to produce an example of an Annual Statistical Summary Report for
arid land ecosystems. The intent is to use selected stress, exposure, and response indicators to
illustrate how information on the condition of arid land ecosystems will be presented annually to
decisionmakers and the public. These example presentation formats will permit more effective
communication between the Arid Ecosystem Task Group and the intended audiences.
Work Plan
A series of questions and issues relevant to arid ecosystems will be used to guide the design and
develop an example of an Annual Statistical Summary Report on the condition of arid ecosystems.
Examples for indicators of changes in land uses, changes in stressors, changes in exposure (e.g.,
air pollutant concentrations), and changes in ecological condition (functional and structural
changes in ecosystems) will be presented. The report will be written for policymakers and the
public. Existing data, data generated from characterization, and simulated data will be used to
develop presentation and reporting techniques applicable at regional or biome scales, unless data
are only available for smaller areas (e.g., vegetation associations). These presentation formats will
include stacked bar charts showing the proportion of different types of arid lands in nominal,
marginal, or subnominal categories for selected indicators; spatial maps showing the geographic
distribution of indicators in these various categories; pie charts; time trends in indicators; and
other techniques for displaying indicators of arid land condition.
Deliverables Time Frame
Final annual statistical summary example for arid ecosystems 9/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 8: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Agroecosystems
Project Officers
Bruce Jones
EMSL-LV
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 798-2671
Walter Heck
USDA/ARS
North Carolina State University
(919) 737-3311
Principal Investigator
Walter Heck
USDA/ARS
North Carolina State University
(919) 737-3311
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The objective of this project is to produce an example of an Annual Statistical Summary Report for
agroecosystems. The intent is to use selected stress, exposure, and response indicators to
illustrate how information on the condition of agroecosystems will be presented annually to
decisionmakers and the public. These example presentation formats will permit more effective
communication between the Agroecosystem Task Croup and the intended audiences.
Work Plan
A series of questions and issues identified for agroecosystems will be used to design and test a
series of different presentation formats. The indicators currently being evaluated include selected
crop yields (e.g., soybeans, wheat), pest density, land use classification, and soil erosion index.
Relationships to ecosystem indicators will be discussed. The report will be written for
policymakers and the public. Existing data, data generated from characterization, and simulated
data will be used to develop presentation and reporting techniques. These reports will be made
over regional or biome scales, unless data are only available for smaller areas (e.g., vegetation
associations). Presentation formats will include both non-spatial (field measurements) and spatial
(remote sensing and CIS) techniques, as well as reporting formats including spatial representation
of all data (e.g., maps).
Deliverables Time Frame
Final annual statistical summary example for agroecosystems 9/90
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Integrated Assessment
Project 9: Example Annual Statistical Summary Report for Surface Water
and Wetland Ecosystems
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERl-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigators
Steven Paulsen
ERC-University of Nevada-Las Vegas
(702) 739-3382
Nancy Leibowitz
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 753-6221
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The objective of this project is to produce an example of an Annual Statistical Summary Report for
surface water and wetland ecosystems. The intent is to use selected stress, exposure, and
response indicators to illustrate how information on the condition of surface water and wetland
ecosystems will be presented annually to decisionmakers and the public. These example
presentation formats will permit effective communication between the Surface Water and Wetland
Task Groups and the intended audiences.
Work Plan
The envisioned annual statistical summaries for EMAP Surface Waters and Wetlands will be
presented using data on indicators from existing sources and simulated data sets. This illustrative
report will include examples of data presentations for selected response, exposure, and stress
indicators. Expected associations between indicators of ecological condition, land use, and other
stressors will be displayed. Particular attention will be devoted to identifying the most appropriate
levels of data aggregation, methods of presentation, and analytical tools to portray relationships
between man-induced stresses and regional as well as national condition in wetlands, lakes, and
streams. The data will be summarized and displayed in a manner consistent with the needs of
policymakers and the public.
Deliverable Time Frame
Final annual statistical summary example for surface water and
wetland ecosystems 6/90
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Section 3.3: Monitoring Design and Research
There are a number of design and research projects, associated with both the monitoring and
assessment activities, that are being undertaken by EMAP. These projects are aimed at improving our
ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data and at developing new and innovative measures of
ecosystem condition that can be incorporated into monitoring networks in the future.
The main emphasis of monitoring design activities is the development of a rigorous, integrated statistical
monitoring framework for EMAP. This type of framework, which is essential if EMAP is to estimate
status and trends in the condition of the Nation's ecosystems, will
provide the basis for determining and reporting on ecological indicators at various geographic
scales;
be adaptable to monitoring on regional as well as on continental and global scales;
enable the examination of correlations among spatial and temporal patterns of response,
exposure, and stressor indicators;
enable the incorporation or substitution of data from ongoing monitoring sites and networks;
and
be sufficiently adaptable and flexible to accommodate changes in the spatial extent of resources
and to address current and emerging issues.
The research activities fall into two areas, spatial and temporal statistics and indicator development.
The EMAP statistical research effort will develop new and innovative methods and approaches for
analyzing and interpreting spatial and temporal trends across regions,
incorporating and substituting historical data and data from ongoing monitoring networks,
designing efficient quality assurance programs for ecological monitoring programs, and
diagnosing the likely causes of adverse conditions in ecosystems.
Indicator development within EMAP will attempt to identify, evaluate, standardize, and use indicators
that collectively describe the overall condition of an ecosystem and reflect characteristics clearly valued
by society. Once an indicator or suite of indicators has been identified, it will be evaluated based on
criteria such as the ability to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable ecosystem condition or
to represent adequately the exposure of an ecosystem to a significant level of stress. The three main
types of activity associated with the EMAP indicator development effort are
(1) the development of a long-term indicator research strategy for all EMAP ecosystem types,
(2) workshops on ecological indicators, and
(3) reports evaluating the availability and applicability of indicators for all EMAP ecosystem types.
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 1: Spatial Statistics
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
TBA
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
The EMAP design is based on a systematic grid of triangular points arranged across the landscape.
Observations at these grid points will be used to estimate characteristics of regional populations of
ecological resources. Initial statistical efforts have focused on the regional population and temporal
trends issues. This project will focus on the development of spatial statistical issues that will
enhance the interpretation, reporting, and assessment of the EMAP information.
Work Plan
The primary task in FY90 will be to identify the spatial statistical issues that are relevant to the
EMAP design and program objectives. A strategy will be developed that establishes the specific
research requirements and priorities for addressing these issues. This strategy will identify the
methods to be developed to incorporate spatial pattern information into population estimates
generated from the EMAP sampling frame for improved estimation of ecosystem status. In
addition, the landscape characterization efforts, stressor indicators, and multiple ecosystem
monitoring will provide an extensive spatial data set that will be used in correlating status and
trends among ecosystems as well as in diagnostics of their condition. The spatial pattern and
model-based approaches to refining and improving those estimates will be addressed within the
research strategy.
Deliverables Time Frame
Report on spatial analysis in EMAP: Issues related to design, analysis,
.reporting, and research needs 10/90
Journal article on statistical graphics for applying geographic data to
report ecological status and condition 11/90
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 2: Temporal Statistics
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
Donald Stevens
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4542
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
The most likely field sampling scheme for EMAP is one in which individual sites are visited once
every four years. The group of sites sampled in one year will be distinct from the groups of sites
sampled during the other years of the four years. Within a region, these groups of sites will
conform to an "interpenetrating design," resulting in regional reporting on ecosystem condition
within that region. The objective of this project is to explore the properties of this design using a
rigorous statistical analysis to (1) devise methods for estimating trends in indicators from the series
of population estimates derived from the four-year cycle; (2) assess, and adjust if necessary, the
probable magnitude of effects introduced by sampling different groups of sites in each of the four
years; (3) associate changes in temporal and spatial patterns in response indicators with
explanatory variables and exposure and stress indicators; (4) evaluate the merits of alternative
design options; (5) establish minimum detectability levels of trends, under various models for error
variances; and (6) aid development of sampling plans by evaluating alternative sample sizes.
Work Plan
Several techniques for estimating trends, such as linear statistical models of trends, non-parametric
trend tests, and conventional time series approaches (Auto-Regressive Moving Average [ARMA]),
will be compared to techniques that are potentially more sensitive for trend detection. One such
technique is an extension of the ARMA models that is structured to include the relationships
between regression and time series methodologies; this technique specifically addresses items (2)
and (3) above. A second approach will evaluate the Bayesian steady-state model to construct a
test for a shift in the location parameter distribution. A third approach will evaluate the use of finite
sampling methods to construct tests for trends. Extensive simulation trials will be conducted to
investigate and assess the various models, estimation techniques, and design options with data
sets constructed to reflect existing data set characteristics. The statistical power of the tests to
detect trends will be established for data sets containing both linear and dynamic time trends.
Deliverables rime Frame
Technical report on simulation studies 3/90
Report summarizing the use of an ARMA-based model for regional 5/90
trend detection
Journal article on simulation comparison of regional trend detection
methods 6/90
Journal article on mathematical derivations of ARMA, the trend model 7/90
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 3: Development of the EMAP Sampling Grid
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
Denis White
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
EMAP requires a sampling design that can sample any spatially distributed and identifiable
ecological resource without having an explicit sampling frame. The design must result in
probability samples for each resource, enable associations to be studied across resources, and
be flexible and adaptive to accommodate many kinds of ecological resources of present and
future interest. The design strategy required to meet these needs is a regular systematic point
grid defined across the United States. These needs and design strategy lead to a set of criteria for
the geometry of the grid: sampling unit selection areas that are equal, equal spacing of grid
points, compact shape of areas associated with grid points, and a structure that enables
enhancing and reducing the density of the grid. In addition, the system developed should allow
EMAP expansion to non-conterminous parts of the United States and provide an interface to
international monitoring efforts.
After investigating a number of approaches to this design problem, EMAP has adopted an
adaptive approach that uses a map projection which produces a grid within a hexagonal region
covering the conterminous United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. This hexagon
is one of a series of hexagon and pentagon "plates* from a pattern that covers the globe. The
pattern, called a tessellation, is that of the familiar soccer ball, technically known as a truncated
icosahedron. In choosing to use an equal area grid from a map projection, the design must allow
for some distortion in shapes and distances on the earth. The chosen map projection minimizes
these distortions.
The objective of this project is to continue the design of this global sampling framework that
provides planar projection surfaces with minimal distortion for subcontinental-sized areas on the
earth and flexible configurations for optimal placement in arbitrary locations.
Work Plan
A number of technical tasks constitute the work plan for this project, including generation of the
points for the North American grid, preparation of software code for the map projection, and
development of algorithms for enhancing and reducing the density of the sample grid. In
addition, two journal articles will be written: the first will describe alternative global tessellations,
and the second will focus on cartographic and geometric considerations of the grid design.
Deliverables Time Frame
Journal article on cartographic and geometric components of a global
sampling design for environmental monitoring 3/90
Journal article on alternative global geometries 6/90
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 4: Development of the Design Aspects of CMAP
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
Scott Overton
Department of Statistics
Oregon State University
(503) 737-3366
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
EMAP requires a rigorous, statistical, integrated monitoring framework as the basis for estimating
and assessing ecological status and trends on a regional and national basis. The primary focus of
this project is to design and evaluate the statistical monitoring framework, the protocols for
collecting status and trends data, and the data analysis methods. Because new methods of data
analysis are required for EMAP, statistical research will be conducted in several areas. Research
will address the use of time series and other methods for assessing trends in populations and
regional patterns, spatial statistics and the presentation of spatial patterns, protocols for using
found data, statistical design for quality assurance, and sampling methodologies for representing
conditions in large resources, e.g., Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, and Ohio River. Because of the
increasing need for statisticians in environmental studies such as EMAP, a strategy for developing
a training program in environmental statistics will be developed.
Work Plan
The basic EMAP statistical design has been developed. Initial efforts will be directed toward
completing the technical documentation on design, analysis procedures, sampling schemes,
reclassification, and aggregation procedures for reporting. An American Statistical Association
panel will review the design in April 1990. Statisticians from academia, consulting firms, and other
agencies will continue to provide statistical guidance on the EMAP design, data analysis, data base
management, and quality assurance activities. As the ecosystem Task Groups and Coordination
Croups develop their tasks and projects, workshops and interagency discussions will be held to
address emerging statistical issues.
Deliverables Time Frame
Report on technical aspects of calibration in surveys 4/90
Journal article on the use of found data and combination with
probability samples 5/90
journal article on concepts and techniques for combining results of
two probability samples 6/90
EMAP network design report 6/90
Report on application of calibration to survey data 7/90
Incorporation of gauged stream data into a probability sample 8/90
Research strategy for developing statistical methods for analysis and
reporting of EMAP data: A five-year plan 10/90
Strategy for creating a center for research and training in
environmental statistics 3/91
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 5: Research Strategy for Developing Indicators of Ecological Condition
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigator
TBA
Period of Performance
1990
Objectives
The Ecological Indicator Report for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
provides a conceptual framework for what is meant by ecosystem condition, what techniques
might be used to measure it, and how such measurements can be used to suggest likely
contributing factors to that condition. The objective of this project is to develop the research
strategy required to improve the core set of indicators that will be implemented within EMAP.
Work Plan
The first task within this project will be to develop criteria regarding the status of indicators for
applications within EMAP. We anticipate that indicator status falls into three categories:
(1) available for implementation, (2) requires additional field testing and evaluation, and
(3) requires research and development efforts. The indicators identified in the indicator report will
be screened, evaluated, and categorized with these criteria. A fourth category is also anticipated:
the current state of the science has not identified indicators of ecosystem condition, and
development of conceptual models and identification of new indicators are required. The second
task will be to identify and prioritize the existing indicator lists and the current and anticipated
requirements for assessing ecosystem condition. The information developed in these tasks will
form the basis of a five-year indicator research strategy for implementation by EMAP.
Deliverables Time Frame
Research strategy for developing indicators of ecological condition:
A five-year plan 8/90
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 6: International Symposium on Indicators of Ecological Condition
Project Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal investigators
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Eric Hyatt
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
(202) 382-4909
Period of Performance
1990-1991
Objectives
An International Symposium on Ecological Indicators, sponsored by EPA and other agencies, will
be held October 16-19, 1990, in Miami Beach, FL. The purpose of the symposium is to present
state-of-science information on the identification, application, research, and monitoring of
ecological indicators. The implementation of these indicators within a regional monitoring network
and use of results to interpret environmental condition will also be discussed.
The development of appropriate indicators to describe and evaluate ecological status is crucial to
improved information on the condition of the environment. EPA is currently evaluating indicators
to be used in EMAP. The results of such a program will provide a broader understanding of
ecosystems and research priorities, anticipate emerging environmental problems, and address
national and international monitoring, regulatory, and policy needs. A key goal of the symposium
is to convene international scientists, researchers, administrators, and policymakers who can
contribute to a discussion of these issues.
Work Plan
The preliminary agenda includes plenary sessions on the first day that address the need for
environmental monitoring and an overview of current programs, plus the development of
ecological indicators and their use in monitoring and regulatory programs. The second day
presents concurrent sessions on the development and application of indicators in specific
systems: surface waters, forests, near coastal, wetlands, agroecosystems, and arid ecosystems.
Presentations on the third day will address multiple scales (landscape, regional, and global) and
uses and interpretations of indicator information. Plenary sessions on the final day will address
present and future ecological monitoring, including future directions and priorities for ecological
indicator research and implementation. Agency administrators, members of Congress,
international environmentalists, and distinguished scientists are being invited as speakers.
Deliverables Time Frame
Proceedings of the international symposium on indicators of
ecological condition 10/91
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Monitoring Design and Research
Project 7: Biodiversity
Protect Officer
Daniel McKenzie
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Principal Investigators
Reid F. Noss
ERL-Corvallis
(503) 757-4666
Paul Adamus
NSI Technologies (ERL-Corvallis)
(503) 757-4666
Period of Performance
1990-1992
Objectives
To develop conceptual models and methodologies for biodiversity indicators, with emphasis on
landscape-level indices for faunal (fish and wildlife) diversity and composition; to test the
relationships between several landscape metrics and diversity, composition, and abundance,
through analysis of existing data bases and literature; to evaluate the appropriateness of tested
indicators for fulfilling EMAP objectives; and to provide implementation guidelines.
Work Plan
Research to fulfill the objectives will be conducted through a combined extramural and EPA
research effort. The initial emphasis will be on developing and refining conceptual models for
relating compositional biodiversity to landscape-level indices. This research will be based on
thorough searches of literature and existing data bases for information on population and
community response to measurable landscape patterns. Landscapes for further study and
evaluation will be identified and prioritized, based primarily on the amount and quality of existing
information.
Biodiversity in the northeastern United States will also be investigated. This effort will examine
landscape cover pattern and diversity as well as bird diversity, and will evaluate statistical models
for relating this information to indicators of regional biodiversity. Initial activities will focus on
existing bird data bases for New England and will be coordinated with the EMAP Forest and
Characterization efforts in this region.
Deliverable Time Frame
Annual report addressing conceptual models and literature reviews,
synthesized New England biodiversity data bases, identification of
gaps in existing data collection networks, and options for addressing
data gaps 6/90
Annual report plus journal articles on indicator validation, biodiversity
monitoring, and New England results 6/91
Annual report plus journal articles on conceptual models and
indicators for monitoring and assessing landscape-level biodiversity,
status report on biodiversity in the northeastern United States, and
network design recommendations for implementation of regional
biodiversity monitoring 6/92
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