Monitoring (continued)

Aquatic Ecosystems

Monitoring lakes for changes in chemistry

Collecting macroinvertebrates to detect changes in insect communities

Assessing the effects of air pollutant emissions on aquatic ecosystems requires an understanding of the processes that control the chemistry and biology of each lake or stream. Aquatic monitoring often begins with a survey of surface waters to identify particularly sensitive ecosystems.

Water chemistry is generally monitored directly as it will show changes more quickly than plant and animal communities. Many studies combine the monitoring of water quality with biological monitoring of plankton, aquatic insects, amphibians and fish.

Visibility

The Forest Service conducts visibility monitoring as one of the cooperators in Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) Program. In some sites, visibility is monitored directly using optical equipment. The particulates that contribute to haze are also collected on filters and measured to determine how visibility is impacted over a time period by which pollutants. For more information, go to: http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve.

Visibility monitoring equipment

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