Approaches to cumulative impact assessment
The quantity and quality of North American wetlands have been greatly reduced this century. Growing concern over the social and ecological effects of this has lead to studies of wetlands ecology and efforts to classify, monitor, and predict impacts to wetlands. Assessing and predicting land use and developmental activity impacts - particularly cumulative impacts - to wetlands is difficult because of their diverse, complex, and dynamic nature. Methods for assessing and predicting cumulative impacts must involve features beyond those associated with traditional impact methods. For example, the methods must allow for multiple projects or land uses, an extended time frame, the aggregation of impacts, a flexibility in geographic boundaries, and adaptability to new techniques and sources of information. Nine categories of existing methods are briefly reviewed. It is probable that a combination of these methods can be used for cumulative impact assessment. To do so effectively, some additional concepts must be incorporated. 48 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 5568477
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8506146-1; ON: DE85013891
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: National wetland assessment symposium, Portland, ME, USA, 17 Jun 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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