Monitoring Ecosystems: Interdisciplinary Approaches for Evaluating Ecoregional Initiatives

Often a commitment to large ecosystem initiatives is linked both conceptually and legally with requirements for ecological monitoring as a means of evaluating the effectiveness of management actions. Programs to determine ecosystem status and trends can contribute significantly to the resolution of difficult and contentious management questions, and can playa key role both in sharpening the focus of research questions and in developing adaptive approaches to resource management.<P> Monitoring Ecosystems brings together leading scientists and researchers to offer a groundbreaking synthesis of lessons learned about ecological monitoring in major ecoregional initiatives around the United States. Contributors-Donald L. DeAngelis, Lance H. Gunderson, Barry R. Noon, John C. Ogden, Craig J. Palmer, Keith M. Reynolds, Paul L. Ringold, John R. Sauer, Lawrence E. Stevens, and many others-present insights and experiences gained from their work in designing, developing, and implementing comprehensive ecosystem monitoring programs in the Pacific Northwest, the lower Colorado River Basin, and the Florida Everglades. The book: outlines the conceptual and scientific underpinnings for regional-scale ecosystem monitoring, examines the role and importance of data management, modeling, and integrative analyses, considers techniques for and experience with monitoring habitats, populations, and communities <P> Chapters by the editors synthesize and expand on points made throughout the volume and present recommendations for establishing frameworks for monitoring across scales, from local to international.<P> Monitoring Ecosystems presents a critical examination of the lessons learned from direct experience along with generalized conclusions that canbe applied to monitoring programs in the United States and around the world. It is a vital contribution to science-based monitoring efforts thatwill allow those responsible for developing and implementing ecoregional initiatives to

Aimed at land managers and scientists, this volume contains 15 contributions from researchers describing various interdisciplinary approaches for measuring the success of adaptive ecoregion-scale management. Case studies include, for example, ecological monitoring strategies for the Northwest Forest Plan and for seagrass communities in the Florida Keys. The papers were originally presented at a symposium held at the 1999 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Spokane, Washington. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

David E. Busch is biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Portland, Oregon.

Joel C. Trexler is associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University in Miami.

The importance of monitoring in regional ecosystem initiatives / David E. Busch and Joel C. Trexler — Conceptual issues in monitoring ecological resources / Barry R. Noon — Design of an ecological monitoring strategy for the forest plan in the Pacific northwest / Paul L. Ringold ... et al. — Monitoring for adaptive management of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Glen and Grand Canyons / Lawrence E. Stevens and Barry D. Gold — Science strategy for a regional ecosystem monitoring and assessment program: the Florida Everglades example / John C. Ogden, Steven M. Davis, and Laura A. Brandt — The use of models for a multiscaled ecological monitoring system / Donald L. DeAngelis ... et al. — Role of knowledge-based systems in analysis and communication of monitoring data / Keith M. Reynolds and Gordon H. Reeves — Approaches to quality assurance and information management for regional ecological monitoring programs / Craig J. Palmer — Estimation of change in populations and communities from monitoring survey data / John R. Sauer, William A. Link, and James D. Nichols — Competing goals of spatial and temporal resolution: monitoring seagrass communities on a regional scale / James W. Fourqurean and Leanne M. Rutten — Late-successional forest monitoring in the pacific northwest / Miles A. Hemstrom — Monitoring wetland ecosystems using avian populations: seventy years of surveys in the Everglades / Peter Frederick and John C. Ogden — Setting and monitoring restoration goals in the absence of historical data: the case of fishes in the Florida Everglades / Joel C. Trexler, William F. Loftus, and John H. Chick — Monitoring biodiversity for ecoregional initiatives / William L. Gaines, Richy J. Harrod, and John F. Lehmkuh — Monitoring, assessment, and ecoregional initiatives: a synthesis / Joel C. Trexler and David E. Busch.