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Developing Advanced Scientific
Methods for Landscape Level Management of Federal Facilities
Background
Many Federal lands are subject to creeping environmental problems
that often go unnoticed on a site-specific basis but, when reviewed
from a landscape level, can have dramatic impacts on natural
resource management (i.e., threatened and endangered species,
invasive weeds, and fire).
This Laboratory Directed Research and
Development (LDRD) project is researching the use of advanced
concepts in landscape ecology and remote sensing to develop a
unified theory for management of federal lands. Development of a
unified theory that takes advantage of advanced technologies for
identification and mapping of landscape features will enhance
resource management to meet appropriate regulations, facilitate
future facility sighting, and enhance the scientific basis for
evaluating options for future management of these lands.
Objectives
Technical objectives for fiscal year 2004:
- Develop a theoretical model for land cover and land use on
and around the INEEL.
- Evaluate ecological health indicators needed to support end
state planning and risk assessment.
- Develop advanced methods to monitor conditions of sagebrush
steppe vegetation using unmanned aerial technology for improving
monitoring approached.
- Define the long-term research niche for the INEEL in
understanding sagebrush steppe ecosystems.
Accomplishments through 2004
Development of theoretical model. In fiscal year
2004, the project team completed a report titled "Conducting
Landscape Level Analysis: A Focus on Remote Sensing and GIS" that
identifies the data and remote sensing imagery that can be
incorporated into a theoretical modeling approach for the INEEL.
The theoretical model being developed evaluates the framework for
addressing end state planning and could help DOE achieve two
aspects of its mission in managing lands in Idaho. These two
aspects are 1) to understand the future use for sagebrush
ecosystems, and 2) to take actions to ensure that future DOE
offices Nuclear Energy and Environmental Management and clean-up
missions are achieved as efficiently as possible.
Evaluation of ecological health indicators. An
extensive amount of ecological data has been collected over the
many years that work has been conducted on the INEEL. Some data
sets, such as the long-term vegetation plots, have records that go
back over 50 years. The available data have been cataloged and,
where appropriate, incorporated into a GIS format. These data will
be used to support identification of the most appropriate
indicators for evaluation of ecological health. The research team
has been invited by the Sustainable Rangeland Executive Committee
to join their group in identifying criteria and indicators for
sustainable rangeland management. Current activities have focused
on identifying critical linkages between ecological parameters,
and how these will support long-term risk management for rangeland
systems. A list of 64 criteria and indicators has been identified.
This list is under evaluation to identify those parameters most
appropriate for the INEEL.
Evaluate vegetation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's).
Analysis of vegetation by traditional ground methods is very labor
intensive. Evaluations are being conducted to determine if there
are alternative aerial approaches`` for collecting data about the
amount of vegetative cover present on the INEEL that are
comparable to ground based methods, Two different UAV platforms
(fixed wing and rotary) are being evaluated with both fixed and
video cameras to determine if they are capable of assessing
creeping environmental problems (Figure 9-11 and Figure 9-12).
This includes identification of species to the life form (shrub,
grass, forb and bare ground) to determine if it is possible to
evaluate large tracks of land at one time, resulting in cost
savings and improved safety from reduced fieldwork.
Long-term research niche for INEEL. A series of
meetings and conference calls have been held with senior
representatives from the U.S. Department of Interior, USGS, Fish
and Wildlife Service, and Nature Conservancy to evaluate long-term
uses for INEEL as a sagebrush steppe research facility. The
National Academy of Science also has recently endorsed the
creation of an ambitious network of ecological research stations
that the NSF has been advocating for the past six years. INEEL,
along with university collaborators, will pursue involvement of
the INEEL in the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON).
During fiscal year 2005 the research team will meet with NSF and
other collaborators to help identify INEEL's potential role in
supporting the NEON concept.
A number of accomplishments were made this year. This LDRD
resulted in a presentation on conceptual models for monitoring
rangelands made to the Sustainable Rangeland Roundtable meeting in
Spokane, Washington. Contacts also were made with the U.S.
Department of the Interior (Dr. Jim Tate, science advisor) during
discussions about applying state-and transition-modeling
approaches for landscape management of federal lands. A conceptual
model of a landscape management approach was also presented to Jon
Sandavol, chief of staff, Idaho Division of Environmental Quality.
The project team discussed the scientific basis for land
management of federal lands with Dr. Steve Bunting (University of
Idaho) and Dr. Mike Scott, a senior scientist for USGS. An
abstract titled "Development of Ecological Indicators for
Sustainable Management of Semiarid Ecosystems" was presented on
October 2003 at the Sustainable Rangeland Roundtable in Boise,
Idaho.
Results
Field data will be collected during the spring/summer of 2005.
Results will be compiled and presented at appropriate professional
meetings and published in the scientific literature.
Plans for Continuation
INEEL UAV program will continue to grow with continued interest
in using the technology to support developing National Security
and Nuclear missions. The UAV technology is in its developmental
stages, system improvements are being evaluated and tested to
determine if this approach will provide a viable alternative to
conventional monitoring methods. UAVs and other remote sensing
technologies will continue to be pursued, because they provide an
opportunity to extend our ability to collect data on ecological
resources across the vast landscape of INEEL that otherwise may
not be accessible.
Investigators
Jerry L. Harbour,
Robert P. Breckenridge, Randy D. Lee, Idaho National Engineering
and Environmental Laboratory
Funding Sources
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
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