Ross Lunetta: Environmental Sciences Division, US EPA
Ross Lunetta discussed his research entitled Landscape Characterization and Non-Point Source Nitrogen Modeling in Support of TMDL Development in the Neuse River Basin, North Carolina. He described his experience using advanced satellite remote sensor systems and GIS-based nutrient models to identify and assess terrestrial nitrogen inputs into the Neuse River Basin. Toxic algal and Pfesteria-like blooms, which are nourished by nitrogen, have been implicated as the causative agent responsible for numerous outbreaks of fish lesions and fish kills in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The results of this study will contribute to identification of areas that need to decrease nitrogen inputs to respond to the State of North Carolina’s requirement to decrease nitrogen input into the Neuse River Basin by thirty percent. The reason for the research is to provide a useable product to the people working on these regulatory issues.
The goal of the research is to look at the landscape patches and see how much nitrogen from each patch ends up in the streams. Spot-4 XS and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data were used to map the area and classify it into different areas such as urban, agricultural, and woody vegetation. Buffer zones were mapped at a higher resolution because it was important to see the nitrogen that was getting into the streams. In addition to the satellite imagery, field data was collected on the ground to record physical and botanical measurements at specific plots that were located with a real time geographic positioning system (GPS). Imagery data was also collected out in the field. Canopy shots and riparian zone photos were taken with a digital camera.
The potential nitrogen was determined for all of the land patches and then mapped off the patch and throughout the system. Patches were then labeled as to how much nitrogen actually got into the stream. This information can be used to help grassroots organizations develop management plans to meet the nitrogen reduction goals of the state.
The final step was to check the accuracy of the data collected. To do this the researchers used the field data to assess the accuracy of the satellite data. The final accuracy reflects the errors of both sources of data. They found an 89 percent agreement among the interpreters for the field data and than used this information to assess the satellite results and found that the accuracy was 88 percent.
Bill Burgess: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Bill Burgess discussed the satellite and GIS application activities of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Since 1986, DNR has integrated remote sensing and GIs into its natural resource mapping and monitoring programs. DNR has used this technology for such things as cleaning up oil and HAZMAT spills, wetlands permitting programs, wetlands inventories, and administrative enforcement of environmental laws.
For the wetlands inventory system, DNR created image-based wetland maps to produce wetland data for a variety of uses. Some of these uses included regulatory maps, environmental models, property assessments, species location, recreation applications, scientific research, and status and trends modeling.
Over the last two years, DNR has provided a publicly accessible Web mapping system known as MERLIN Online. MERLIN provides access to a range of base maps, imagery and thematic data. There is a choice of map systems that will show different things based on the resolution. After selecting a base map, data layers may be selected to overlay. For example, wetland loss may be analyzed on top of base maps and the maps will show coordinates of permit locations. If the permit location and change location coincide there probably is not an enforcement problem; however, if they do coincide there may be a violation. This can be used as an effective enforcement tool in wetland monitoring.
Michael Penders: Environmental Protection International
Michael Penders’ presentation was entitled The Hanging Chads of International Environmental Law: Towards the Better Use of Technology and Information Management to Detect Violations of International Agreements, Combat Transnational Crime, and Reform Environmental Law and Trade. He discussed the emerging and potential applications for remote sensing and information management to monitor compliance with environmental laws, particularly those that implement international agreements.
Satellite imaging can give a better picture of what is going on. For example, it can detect oil spills, monitor international shipping, or track shipments of wastes. Several countries have already had successes. Australia tracked shipments of hazardous waste from cradle to grave and got 100 percent compliance. Italy used historical data from a satellite to track the disappearance of a lake and learned it had been gradually filled with hazardous waste. No one in the community had said anything because it had been done by organized crime. China has also done a very good job of integrating trade data and environmental regulatory authority data; the United States lags behind. However, the US has used data to determine compliance with the Montreal Protocol. The EPA looked at shipments of CFC’s and collected other data to determine compliance with the Protocol. Using this technology we can help to enforce some of the more unsuccessful international environmental treaties. It is estimated that there is only a 10 percent compliance rate with international treaties. This information can determine how we design international agreements. The technology may be integrated into the agreements themselves an example would be to integrate compliance data with remote sensing data.