EnviroAtlas: An Atlas about Ecosystems and their Connection with People

Transcription

1 EnviroAtlas: An Atlas about Ecosystems and their Connection with People Annie Neale, Megan Mehaffey & Atlas Team ASWM Webinar October, 17 th, 2012

2 What is it? The Atlas is an online decision support tool giving users ability to view, analyze, and download geospatial data related to ecosystem services (nature s benefits) Indicators of the production and consumption of ecosystem services Indicators of drivers of change and unrealized potential Indices built on combination of supply, demand, drivers of change indicators Reference data (e.g., political and ecological boundaries, land cover, soils, hydrography, impaired water bodies, wetlands, demographics, and more The Atlas is multi-scaled: Wall-to-wall national coverage for conterminous US High resolution component for selected communities Future Atlas will contain or integrate with: Data describing built capital Decision-support tools including alternative future scenarios Valuation tools

3 Atlas Background and Vision Multiple Scales National m 2 summarized by 12 digit HUCs across conterminous US Selected Communities (City) 1 m 2 summarized by census unit across city Special Study Area Multiple scales depending on study

4 Land Cover as a Foundational Data Layer Comparison of Land Cover at 30 m and 1 m pixel size NLCD Plus 30 m land cover 100 m 1 m land cover

5 Who is developing it? An Open Multi-Organization Partnership US EPA US Forest Service US Geological Survey Natural Resources Conservation Service New Mexico State University NatureServe National Geographic City College of New York Others Contract Support Innovate, Inc!, OTIE, RTI, CGI, Tetra-Tech, Student Services Contractors

6 What are underlying premises? Sustaining ecosystems is critical to life on earth but unless we can explicitly demonstrate the connection between ecosystems and our well-being, ecosystems will continue to be undervalued Making information more accessible to analysts, researchers, decision-makers, & public will: help promote more informed decision-making help boost the science Using existing literature, tools, and data in innovative ways A few ecosystem services lend themselves to $ valuation, many do not. Those that don t should not be ignored! Not the intent of Atlas to monetize ecosystem services Simple to complex

7 What is the status? First public release in 2013, annual releases thereafter ~ 100 indicators for nation complete ~ 50 indicators for Durham, NC complete It is a work in progress, data and functionality continuing to evolve Signing up beta testers, please let us know if interested

8 White House PCAST Report Recommendations from the recent President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report To The President, Sustaining Environmental Capital: Protecting Society and the Economy Federal agencies should be tasked with improving their capabilities to develop valuations for the ecosystem services affected by their decision-making The U.S. government should institute and fund a Quadrennial Ecosystems Services Trends (QuEST) Assessment National Science and Technology Council should establish an EcoINFORMA initiative. EcoINFORMA should incorporate not only ecosystems data but also geophysical and socio-economic data, which are needed to support ecosystem valuation. EcoINFORMA data should be published to encourage research engagement by academia, public and private entities, and other stakeholders.

9 Federal GeoPlatform (Cloud) What is the data model? Data.gov and EDG.epa.gov Metadata EPA GeoPlatform (Cloud) Other public sources (USGS, BISON, USDA, etc.) EnviroAtlas LandScope America User (local) Data Non-EPA Analytics (e.g., USFS i-tree, NGO Tools) EPA Analytics Modules

10 Decision Alternative Δ Exposure to Stressors Δ Ecosystems Δ Ecological Functions Δ Ecosystem Services Δ Human Well-being Atlas Science Questions How can we effectively quantify and communicate the production of the goods and services we receive from ecosystems What is the supply of those services in relationship to the demand and future demand? How do drivers of ecosystem services such as land use change (e.g., road development), climate change, and pollutant loads impact the delivery of ecosystem services? At a screening level, where does it make sense to invest or prioritize land/water protection, restoration, conservation, or use? If we invest in green space, can we reduce the costs of grey infrastructure while also gaining other co-benefits? How can we promote the incorporation of this type of information into decision-making How can we demonstrate how these services explicitly relate to human health and well-being?

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13 Task at hand is to fill in the matrix and build tools to facilitate analysis

14 Eco-Health Relation Browser

15 Total Green Space per Person (m2) Example Analytical Capabilities 14,000 Total Green Space per Person vs Percent African-American 2406 Focal Block-Group Comparison 12,000 10, ,000 6,000 Series1 Pop > 70 yrs Series2 Green space/pop Series3 Impervious/pop 4, , Percent African-Americans per Block-Group 1 2 Block Group

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18 Rain Drop Tool

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26 Jay Christensen, IALE 2011

27 Building a tool to navigate 12 digit HUCs, visualize the up/downstream connection

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30 SUSTAINABLE & HEALTHY COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

31 Atlas National Data Layers Related to Restorable Wetlands What constitutes potentially restorable wetland? Hydric Soil + Restorable Land Use + Topographic Wetness Index > 5.5 = Potentially Restorable Wetlands? Source Hydric Soil --SSURGO + STATSGO (30m) Restorable Land Use --NLCD +CCAP + Cropland Data Layer (30m) Wetness Index NED (30m) With John Richardson (Region 4) Portion of Emmet Co., IA

32 Assessment Approaches/GIS Tools: Predictive Tool for Determining Likelihood of Wetlands on the Landscape John R. Richardson, Ph.D. US EPA Region 4 Compound Topographic Index =ln(flowaccumulation/tan(slope))

33 NWI Wetlands / TOPO 31 Wetness Index (30m) / TOPO Wetness Index (30m) / 2006 NLCD

34 Atlas National Data Layers Related to Restorable Wetlands How do you prioritize restoration to maximize multiple ecosystem services? Crop productivity (NRCS National Commodity Crop Productivity Index, Vulnerability Index) Proximity to open water Proximity to ground water sourced drinking water Potential for high volume flow-through Potential for draining high nutrient source area (crop type) Potential area for wetlands retreat due to rising sea level Soil rental rates

35 Atlas National Data Layers Related to Restorable Wetlands How do you prioritize restoration to maximize multiple ecosystem services? Reconnection Potential would it reconnect existing wetlands or other natural land cover?wildlife habitat potential?payment for ecosystem services potential?recreation potential?others

36 Wetness/Hydric Soils/NWI wetlands/topo Add in rental rates to rank for restoration

37 Identifying Flood Plains Research Project Determine which landform features to include in the river landform subset; for Iowa the primary units were flood plains, stream terraces, terraces, and alluvial fans Display the data based on the landform data field to review the data

38 Identifying Flood Plains Research Project Combine two data sets to fill in 100 & 500 year flood plain areas Pink = NRCS/ACOE Flood Plain Blue = FEMA Flood Plain

39 Thank You Annie Neale