Ecological monitoring: types and subsystems

Ecological monitoring is a complex of observations that follow the state of the environment, as well as its assessment and forecast of changes occurring in it under the influence of both anthropogenic and natural factors. As a rule, in any territory such studies are always conducted, but the services dealing with them belong to different departments, and their actions are not coordinated in any of the aspects. For this reason, prior to monitoring the environment, the priority task is to decide on the ecological and economic area. The next step is to select information that relates specifically to the state of the environment. Also, you need to make sure that the incoming data is enough to make the right conclusions.

Types of environmental monitoring

Since during the observation of many tasks of different levels, at one time it was suggested to distinguish three of its directions:

- Sanitary and hygienic;

- natural and economic;

- Global.

However, in practice it turned out that such an approach does not allow clearly defining the zoning and organizational parameters. It is impossible to accurately separate the functions of subspecies of monitoring the environment.

Environmental monitoring : subsystems

The main subspecies of surveillance, conducted by the environment, are:

- Climate monitoring. This service is responsible for monitoring and forecasting climate fluctuations. It covers the ice cover, the atmosphere, the ocean and other parts of the biosphere that affect its formation.

- Geophysical monitoring. This service analyzes data on atmospheric pollution and data from hydrologists, meteorologists.

- Biological monitoring. This service monitors how pollution affects all living organisms.

- Monitoring the health of residents of a given territory. This service monitors, analyzes and predicts the health status of the population.

So, in general, environmental monitoring is as follows. The environment (or one of its objects) is selected, its parameters are measured, collected, and then information is transmitted. After that, the data is processed, their general characteristics are given at the current stage and forecasting is made for the future.

Levels of monitoring the state of the environment

Environmental monitoring is a multi-level system. Ascending it looks like this:

- Detailed level. Monitoring is carried out in small areas.

- Local level. This system is formed when parts of detailed monitoring are combined into one network. That is, it is already on the territory of a district or a big city.

- Regional level. It covers the territory of several regions within one region or province.

- National level. It is formed by a system of regional monitoring integrated within one country.

- The global level. It combines the monitoring systems of several nations. Its task is to monitor the state of the environment around the world, to predict its changes, including, and as a result of the impact of the anthropogenic factor on the biosphere.

Observation Program

Environmental monitoring is scientifically sound and has its own program. It specifies the objectives of its implementation, specific steps and methods of implementation. The main points of the environmental monitoring program are as follows:

- List of objects that are monitored. Precise indication of their territory.

- List of indicators of ongoing monitoring and the permissible limits of their changes.

And, finally, a time frame, that is, with what frequency samples should be sampled, and when data should be provided.