Scale issues in the assessment of ecological impacts using a GIS-based habitat model — A case study for the Stockholm region

Gontier, Mikael

doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2007.02.003

Cited by 41 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The environmental impacts associated with the construction of infrastructure projects are site specific (Augenbroe and Pearce 1998;Tang et al 2005;Gontier 2007;Mortberg et al 2007). For example, the development of naval ports and shipyards are more likely to have a greater contamination risk of adjacent water bodies than the development of a terrestrial airstrip, which can be situated miles from water sources and surrounded by a natural vegetation buffer zone (Tull 2006;Mortberg et al 2007).…”

Section: Environmental Impacts Of Military Base Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

et al. 2015

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Abstract:War is an ever-present force that has the potential to alter the biosphere. Here we review the potential consequences of modern war and military activities on ecosystem structure and function. We focus on the effects of direct conflict, nuclear weapons, military training, and military produced contaminants. Overall, the aforementioned activities were found to have overwhelmingly negative effects on ecosystem structure and function. Dramatic habitat alteration, environmental pollution, and disturbance contributed to population declines and biodiversity losses arising from both acute and chronic effects in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. In some instances, even in the face of massive alterations to ecosystem structure, recovery was possible. Interestingly, military activity was beneficial under specific conditions, such as when an exclusion zone was generated that generally resulted in population increases and (or) population recovery; an observation noted in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Additionally, military technological advances (e.g., GPS technology, drone technology, biotelemetry) have provided conservation scientists with novel tools for research. Because of the challenges associated with conducting research in areas with military activities (e.g., restricted access, hazardous conditions), information pertaining to military impacts on the environment are relatively scarce and are often studied years after military activities have ceased and with no knowledge of baseline conditions. Additional research would help to elucidate the environmental consequences (positive and negative) and thus reveal opportunities for mitigating negative effects while informing the development of optimal strategies for rehabilitation and recovery.Key words: war, biodiversity, ecosystem structure, conflict, military activities, environment, conservation biology.Résumé : La guerre est une force omniprésente ayant le potentiel d'altérer l'atmosphère. Les auteurs passent en revue les conséquences potentielles des activités guerrières et militaires modernes sur la structure et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. On met l'accent sur les effets directs et indirects des conflits, des armes nucléaires, des entrainements militaires et des contaminants des produits militaires. Dans l'ensemble, on constate que les activités préalablement mentionnées ont des effets négatifs écrasants sur la structure et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Avec des altérations dramatiques des habitats, la pollution et les perturbations environnementales contribuent au déclin des populations et aux pertes de biodiversité provenant des effets aigus et chroniques sur les systèmes terrestres aussi bien qu'aquatiques. Tout de même dans certains cas, en présence d'altérations massives de la structure des écosystèmes, la récupération s'est avérée possible. Il est intéressant de noter qu'une activité militaire fut bénéfique sous des conditions spécifiques telles que la création d'une zone d'exclusion, en générant des augmentations générales des p...

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Section: Environmental Impacts Of Military Base Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

et al. 2015

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“…Overall, the 2043 simulation results for wet areas are close, which may indicate that the wetland conservation strategy, identified in the CDP, will have little overall effect on wet area when compared to business as usual under the zero alternative. Part of the challenge is that the City's planning initiatives, including wetland conservation strategies, are bounded by administrative units, which is often the case for urban development [64], as opposed to capturing wetland functional scales [17], which were considered in this analysis and may be considered minimal spatial units in terms of ensuring the ability of wetlands to maintain their long-term functions and resiliency in urban environments [2,51]. The Markov Chain technique itself is not an explicit spatial analysis method.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development and assessment of current and future land uses via scenario analysis and LUC modeling are foundational to SEA in the context of spatial planning and development [16,17]. Such scenario-based approaches, which produce visions of future conditions with and without currently planned development actions or initiatives [18][19][20], are widely promoted as good-practice in the impact assessment literature and recognized as a means to help overcome the challenges associated with predicting future outcomes under uncertain planning conditions [13,16,[21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Futures Analysis of Urban Land Use and Wetland Change in Saskatoon, Canada: An Application in Strategic Environmental Assessment

2015

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This paper presents a scenario-based approach to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for wetland trend analysis and land use and land cover (LUC) modeling in an urban environment. The application is focused on the Saskatoon urban environment, a rapidly growing urban municipality in Canada's prairie pothole region. Alternative future LUC was simulated using remote sensing data and city spatial planning documentation using a Markov Chain technique. Two alternatives were developed and compared for LUC change and threats to urban wetland sustainability: a zero alternative that simulated trends in urban development and wetland conservation under a business as usual scenario, in the absence of prescribed planning and zoning actions; and an alternative focused on implementation of current urban development plans, which simulated future LUC to account for prescribed wetland conservation strategies. Results show no improvement in future wetland conditions under the city's planned growth and wetland conservation scenario versus the business as usual scenario. Results also indicate that a blanket wetland conservation strategy for the city may not be sufficient to overcome the historic trend of urban wetland loss; and that spatially distributed conservation rates, based on individual wetland water catchment LUC peculiarities, may be more effective in terms of wetland conservation. The paper also demonstrates the OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 812 challenges to applied SEA in a rapidly changing urban planning context, where data are often sparse and inconsistent across the urban region, and provides potential solutions through LUC classification and prediction tools to help overcome data limitations to support land use planning decisions for wetland conservation.

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“…precision, quality, accuracy and scale), making datasets created as non-reusable 'one-offs'. Intellectual property rights can also limit the type and amount of information published and its accessibility for future assessments (Gontier 2007;Söderman 2009;Wale & Yalew 2010;King et al 2012). Access to, and use of, biodiversity datasets is constrained (Figure 4) by lack of knowledge of their availability (24% international/21% national responses) and, with contrasting international/ national emphases, by scale and copyright/licensing (25% and 8% of international, vs 6 and 16% of national responses, respectively).…”

Section: Data Use and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These findings reinforce other international reviews emphasizing the importance of choosing the correct scale(s) and reporting on any data limitations when evaluating potential impacts on biodiversity. The use of arbitrary scales and geographical extents that are not determined by ecological characteristics or processes and that may rely only on available data can result in important ecosystem features and species unknowingly being screened out of the assessment (João 2002;Gontier 2007).…”

Section: Techniques For Impact Assessment Treatment Of Scale and Uncmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current practice in biodiversity impact assessment and prospects for developing an integrated process

González

Keneghan

Fry

et al. 2013

Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal

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Irish guidance for Integrated Biodiversity Impact Assessment provides a methodological approach for integrating impact assessment requirements, with regard to biodiversity, under EU and Irish legislation. Preparation of the guidance was supported by extensive consultation, including international and national surveys. These offered insights into the issues affecting the treatment of biodiversity in impact assessment practice as well as expert opinion on factors affecting and supporting the development of a more integrated and adaptive approach. This paper contrasts the international literature with the consultation feedback. Among other aspects, the results highlight the requirement for an improved application of evidence-based assessment techniques, continuity in monitoring, enhanced information exchange between scientists, assessors and proponents, as well as increased awareness amongst stakeholders for inclusion of appropriate biodiversity protection objectives and mitigation in final planning decisions. Comparative analysis of results indicates that current practice is characterized by limited information exchange and the use of in-house databases in assessments. A central spatial data repository is identified as key for quantitatively assessing (cumulative) effects through Geographic Information Systems, and thus supporting evidence-informed decision-making towards biodiversity conservation.

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Scale issues in the assessment of ecological impacts using a GIS-based habitat model — A case study for the Stockholm region

Cited by 41 publications

References 40 publications

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

Futures Analysis of Urban Land Use and Wetland Change in Saskatoon, Canada: An Application in Strategic Environmental Assessment

Current practice in biodiversity impact assessment and prospects for developing an integrated process

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