Assessment of Climate Change through an Environmental Monitoring Network

Air pollution and climate change represent serious threats to the conservation of biodiversity. In order to reverse biodiversity loss, management strategies need to be developed in the light of these threats if they are to be effective. This assessment must be based on reliable evidence and must include the results of monitoring to detect, characterize and quantify ecological changes which are taking place. An integrated approach to both climate change and air pollution is likely to be most effective, because organisms are responding to both and distinguishing their effects is a major challenge. This paper presents a proposal to monitor aspects of biodiversity (such as vegetation, birds and butterflies) alongside climate and air pollution across an Environmental Monitoring Network (EMN), spanning the widest possible range of air pollution conditions and predicted climate changes. A site-based network is cost effective and complementary to an existing research and monitoring work in a country. A suite of measurements has been identified and recommended for inclusion which will allow changes in important elements of biodiversity to be quantified alongside the aspects of the physical environment. The main measurements of air pollutants are total nitrogen deposition, acid deposition sulphur deposition and ozone. Measurements of climatic variables include solar radiation, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, soil water content and temperature and rainfall. Detected changes in vegetation and wildlife at monitoring sites could be correlated with changes in environmental variables and pollutants. Statistical modeling would enable to identify the effects of different environmental variables on changes in biodiversity with a much higher degree of confidence. Number of sites should be defined based on a pilot study in a country and be representative of the natural environment. The majority of sites can be national parks and protected areas.

Keywords:

Biodiversity , Climate change , Air pollution , Environmental Monitoring Network