IAN Seminar Series

This presentation highlights decreasing trends in funding for certain federal programs and then presents an adaptive management strategy that helps move projects forward.  The data utilized in the presentation is from groundwater clean-up projects where the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense, among others, are stakeholders.  The strategy, as detailed in a case study from one of the projects where it was implemented, is a process that leverages a handful of actionable practices that focus on timely, critical, and cost-reducing outcomes, with a result of being able to pursue additional tasks or applying the savings to other programs.

This lesson is intended as a primer for understanding environmental economics, focusing particularly on the valuation of ecosystem services. The first section of the presentation focuses on an economist’s typical perspective on how ecosystem services are to be analyzed – and in particular on the kinds of ecological analysis and outcomes needed for economic evaluation.  Boyd stresses the importance of being able to describe the effect of specific management actions on changed ecological outcomes via ecological “production functions.” He also stresses the importance of measured or modeled ecological outcomes that can be understood by lay audiences. Ecological analysis that causally relates specific management actions to changes in socially understandable biophysical outcomes allows for those outcomes to be valued in monetary terms. The second section of the presentation focuses more heavily on how to economically quantify the importance of ecosystem services.  In order to fix a monetary value on an environmenta

This lesson is intended as a primer for understanding environmental economics, focusing particularly on the valuation of ecosystem services. The first section of the presentation focuses on an economist’s typical perspective on how ecosystem services are to be analyzed – and in particular on the kinds of ecological analysis and outcomes needed for economic evaluation.  Boyd stresses the importance of being able to describe the effect of specific management actions on changed ecological outcomes via ecological “production functions.” He also stresses the importance of measured or modeled ecological outcomes that can be understood by lay audiences. Ecological analysis that causally relates specific management actions to changes in socially understandable biophysical outcomes allows for those outcomes to be valued in monetary terms.The second section of the presentation focuses more heavily on how to economically quantify the importance of ecosystem services.  In order to fix a monetary value on an environmental

Reduction of suspended sediment (SS), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen is an important focus for Chesapeake Bay watershed management. The Susquehanna River, the bay’s largest tributary, has drawn attention because SS loads from behind Conowingo Dam (near the river’s mouth) have been rising dramatically. To better understand these changes, we evaluated histories of concentration and loading (1986-2013) using data from sites above and below Conowingo Reservoir. First, observed concentration-discharge relationships show that SS and TP concentrations at the reservoir inlet have declined under most discharges in recent decades, but without corresponding declines at the outlet, implying recently diminished reservoir trapping. Second, best estimates of mass balance suggest decreasing net deposition of SS and TP in recent decades over a wide range of discharges, with cumulative mass generally dominated by the 75th~99.5th percentile of daily Conowingo discharges. Finally, stationary models that better accommo

EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP) compiles and publishes a set of key indicators related to the causes and effects of climate change into a peer-reviewed report entitled: Climate Change Indicators in the United States and as an online resource.  EPA partners with over 40 data contributors from various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to gather these data and analyses.    The primary purpose of this effort is to track and document climate change in the U.S., and to provide a tool to communicate to broad audiences, including policymakers and the public. The indicators in this report are designed to help readers understand observed long-term trends related to the causes and effects of climate change.  EPA leverages peer-reviewed and publicly available data to identify metrics and indicators that help characterize climate change in the US. EPA chooses its indicators using a standard set of criteria that includes data quality, transparency of analytical methods, ability

There have been numerous indicators that there has been progress in improving the water quality indicators for the Chesapeake Bay system. Less clear, are the effects of these water quality improvements on the living resources of this system, or the scale of those effects in comparison to other stressors like changing water temperatures in this region. Similarly, the cumulative effects of multiple, simultaneous stressors in combination with the water quality improvements are difficult to estimate, and there are relatively few tools available with which to accomplish this task. One such tool is an"end-to- end" or "full-system" modeling approach called "Atlantis". The Chesapeake Atlantis Model (CAM) is a deterministic, biogeophysical, production simulation model of the Chesapeake system, designed to provide strategic information on the trade-offs of different management choices, e.g., targeted restoration, ongoing habitat loss due to sea level rise and shoreline hardening, water quality improvement, etc. The spa

Although environmental requirements of submerged aquatic vegetation have been studied for years, reliable metrics for predicting their response to current or future conditions remain elusive. The combined effects of temperature, CO 2 , and light availability controlled by water quality and epiphytes were explored using GrassLight, a bio-optical model that provided a predictive environment for evaluating the interaction of multiple stressors on SAV distribution and density across the submarine landscape of the Chesapeake Bay. Model predictions were validated against in situ measures of spectral diffuse attenuation, SAV density and distribution. The potential for photosynthesis stimulated by ocean acidification to mitigate the effects of high summer temperature, water quality and epiphyte load on SAV populations growing near the southern limit of their distribution were explored. The model accurately reproduced the submarine light environment from measured water quality parameters, and predicted their impacts o

Chesapeake Bay support a diverse assemblage of 10-15 species of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) whose distributions are generally constrained by salinity. Two species are found in the higher salinity areas with the remaining species found in the lower salinity and freshwater areas of the region. Because of their sensitivity to water quality changes, SAV are being used by resource managers as a sentinel group to reflect management efforts to improve water quality in this region.An annual aerial SAV monitoring program has been conducted throughout the Chesapeake Bay and the Delmarva Coastal Bays on an annual basis from 1984 through 2015, except for 1988. Black and white photography was acquired at a scale of 1:24,000, following acquisition timing guidelines that optimize visibility of SAV beds with digital imagery used in 2015. Approximately 170 flight lines were flown each year between May and October, yielding over 2,000 photographs or digital images.Since the 1984, SAV has exhibited long-term (decadal) in

Since the early 1980s, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, with the support of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, and with funding from the EPA and other local, state, and federal partners, has lead an annual Bay-wide SAV monitoring effort using data interpreted from aerial imagery integrated with ground survey data. The program has evolved over the past three decades to become the most successful large-scale, consistent, long-term SAV monitoring program in the world. Because of the program’s endurance and reliability of data, SAV scientists and managers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have grown to rely on the data for a variety of purposes. With that said, the ability to identify and secure diverse and sustainable sources of long-term funding for the program have not been successful in the past several years. The program itself has become more expensive over the years as the quantity of data and level of detail, accuracy, and staff expertise have increased, while simultaneously the number and div

The National Urban Waters Federal Partnership is comprised of 13 Federal Departments, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Department of the Interior, among others. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership, formally launched in Baltimore in 2011, was developed to reconnect economically underserved urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and organizations at all levels of government. The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency on the Baltimore Urban Waters Federal Partnership (BUWP). The BUWP has organized with many local agencies and organizations to develop plans and strategic actions in four topical areas with subcommittees for each over the last five years: (1) Local restoration and best management projects, (2) Spatial mapping information and tools, (3) The Green Pattern Book, and (4) Monitoring, modeling, and research. The goals of the Monitoring, Modeling, and Research topic subcommittee are to enha

Who’s willing to change their behaviors in the interest of Chesapeake Bay health? Limited by financial constraints, it may be ideal for watershed organizations to focus their stewardship and educational initiatives on actions most likely adopted by their constituents. The Bay Survey, hosted online between 2013-2015, asked participants questions about stewardship practices in and around their homes.  The survey found that more people are likely to plant a rain garden if provided with help financially; most people do not have a rain barrel, but those who do have them installed and hooked up; and, there is an equal likelihood people will install rain barrels as rain gardens at their home. These are just a few of the results that will be presented during this seminar. This presentation looks at the results of The Bay Survey in Maryland and compares the counties with the best return rates (Anne Arundel and Dorchester).

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as a partner of the Chesapeake Bay Program, is responsible for determining the extent to which nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment loads delivered to bay from the monitored-nontidal portions of the bay watershed. This is accomplished by analyzing water-quality observations from the nine River-Input Monitoring (RIM) stations to estimate nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment annual loads and trends using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS). The resulting trends in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads are flow normalized to account for the year-to-year variation in river discharge; thus, the remaining trend is a result of changing sources, delays associated with storage or transport of historical inputs, and/or implemented reduction strategies.Long-term (1985-2014) trends in nitrogen loads indicate improving conditions at the 7 of 9 RIM stations, including the five largest rivers. The Choptank River is the only station whose data indi

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as a partner of the Chesapeake Bay Program, is responsible for determining the extent to which nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment loads delivered to bay from the monitored-nontidal portions of the bay watershed. This is accomplished by analyzing water-quality observations from the nine River-Input Monitoring (RIM) stations to estimate nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment annual loads and trends using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS). The resulting trends in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads are flow normalized to account for the year-to-year variation in river discharge; thus, the remaining trend is a result of changing sources, delays associated with storage or transport of historical inputs, and/or implemented reduction strategies.Nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment loads are showing measurable improvement at many locations across the bay watershed from 2005 to 2014. Trends in nitrogen loads are improving at 44 o

An introduced form of Phragmites australis, Common Reed, has exploded in abundance in wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay since the 1980s. Phragmites quickly turns diverse native wetlands into monocultures that provide poorer habitat for native fauna. We combined analysis of patterns of genetic variation in existing reed stands that established in association with a range of anthropogenic stressors with an experimental reed removal study to understand how other stressors affect Phragmites spread and how landscape factors may affect the success of management. We found that most Phragmites seeds establish within 100m of their source, while few disperse farther than 500m, indicating a scale for successful management. Dispersing seeds are more likely to establish near bulkheads and riprap than on unhardened shorelines. Because of the possibility of re-establishment of Phragmites in areas with nearby seed sources, management may be most successful when carried out at the whole subestuary scale and in subestuaries with

Details explaining a study done on the effects of land use and shoreline hardening on fish and crabs.

We used two approaches to study the interactive effects of land use and shoreline armoring on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay. One approach developed spatial-statistical models relating SAV abundance to land use and shoreline armoring. The models exploited bay-wide data on land cover, shoreline hardening, and decades of annual SAV mapping. The second approach was a field study of SAV abundance along transects extending offshore from natural and riprapped shorelines. Both approaches show that human land uses, especially cropland and developed land, and shoreline armoring can have negative impacts on SAV. However, the effects differ among salinity zones, probably because the dominant SAV species and associated stressor-response relationships also differ with salinity.• Local watershed land use affects subestuary SAV abundance, which is lower subestuaries with in watersheds dominated by agriculture or developed land.• Shoreline hardening can reduce SAV abundance. The effects differ among sal

As part of a larger study of multiple stressors in near-shore habitats, we measured water quality in 50 mid-Atlantic coastal bays and sub-estuaries. Total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in estuarine water increased with the percentage of cropland in the watershed. Total nitrogen concentration also increased with the percentage of developed land but not as steeply as with cropland. Chlorophyll a concentrations increased at similar rates with increase in either developed or urban land. The land use composition of the local watershed clearly affected water quality in the bays and sub-estuaries, indicating that local efforts to reduce nutrient pollution will be needed to improve water quality. In 11 sub-estuaries we also analyzed mercury and organic contaminants in fish tissues. Some organic pollutants in fish, such as PCBs and pesticides, increased with developed land in the local watershed, depending on fish species, while some agricultural pesticides were associated with cropland. In contrast, me

The Chesapeake Bay Sentinel Site Cooperative (CBSSC) is a partnership among local, state and federal agencies as well as academic institutions, non-profit organizations, local communities and regional organizations. The Cooperative brings together experts from scientific, resource management, and environmental stewardship organizations to inform local management decisions relating to coastal flooding and sea level rise. The CBSSC is made up of six core ecological Sentinel Sites each collecting long-term data including marsh elevation, water levels, water quality, and vegetation type and distribution. The Cooperative also connects to and relies on broader observing networks such as the National Water Level Observation Network, or NWLON, and the Virginia Estuarine and Coastal Observing System (VECOS). The CBSSC strives to better coordinate existing resources among partners while reducing redundancy and increasing effectiveness in understanding sea level rise and coastal flooding. A cooperative, by definition, i