8201

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8201
• Author: Carter, J. and V. Lamarra.
• Title: An ecosystem approach to environmental management.
• USFW Year: 1983.
• USFW - Doc Type: 261-287
• Copyright Material: YES

detailed data analysis and literature search, hypotheses
must be generated to explain the deviation. These
hypotheses will form the basis for investigations to
determine the problem. Field and laboratory research will
then be carried out until the cause is determined. If, by
gathering additional data, the deviation can be attributed
to natural environmental factors, the model will be
refined and analysis will stop. If, however, the cause is
industry related, mitigation methodology can be
implemented.

Application of this logic to reclaimed or modified
areas is identical. However, in this instance, the model
is used to measure similarity to pre-development
conditions or projected goals and legal requirements for
the area. Effectiveness of mitigation, reclamation, or
habitat enhancement will require evaluation of each
important relationship by knowledgeable investigators as
well as consultation with the governing regulatory agency
at appropriate intervals to determine if reclamation is
complete and mitigation or enhancement is effective.

EXAMPLE OF THE MONITORING APPROACH

To illustrate the application of this logic, consider
the following example. Assume the following represent a
set of primary relationships describing a subset2 of the
ecosystem and that primary production (mg 02/m /hr) is
the community-level parameter being monitored.

Net Primary production = f(light, chlorophyll,
community respiration)

Light = f(season, time of day, turbidity)

Chlorophyll = f(seaso~, storm events, nutrients)

Community Respiration f(standing crop of
invertebrates, microbes, organics)

If at Level I we enter the most recent data into
MONITOR and the relationships still hold, that is, the
confidence limits of the relationship curves are not
violated, the system is normal and we need proceed no
further. If, however, we observe net primary production
to be lower than expected by our model and that
correspondingly, community respiration is higher than
expected, while light and chlorophyll are normal, MONITOR
outputs a red flag for net primary production (NPP) and
community respiration (CR).

284

We the
changes ca
determing CI

C

If we deter
microbes
explained t
could be
enter Level
explain the

We may
respiration
directly me
for the pro
invertebrat
in inverteb
leached met
then anal
invertebrat
process wa
levels of t
baseline,
and appropr

In su
ecosystem-b
to narrow t
point. Th
decision an
the activi
be occurrin

FUTURE DEVE

Data
programs f,
an ecosyste
more data
the preprod
ecosystem
techniques