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Environmental
Monitoring
in Rhode Island |
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We are following these definitions to identify the scope and scale of monitoring programs in Rhode Island we wish to review in the database and workshop. Environmental Monitoring is repetitive or continuous measurements or observations of environmental variables recorded over time for the purpose of determining a condition or identifying a trend or change. Time Period: The monitoring cycle depends on the variable(s) measured. For example, water nutrients may need to be sampled weekly in order to characterize a system, but metals in sediments may need to be sampled only once every 2 years. In general, five years or cycles would be considered a monitoring program (as opposed to a survey or a baseline, which would not be included in the workshop). The time period can both reach into the past and stretch into the future. It is important to include monitoring programs that have ended, but should be continued. Spatial or Ecological Extent: Monitoring can be at a single site or of a single species, or of multiple sites or multiple species. Type of Variable(s): Although social or economic variables, such as census data or land values may be useful for relationships, only measurements of biotic and abiotic environmental parameters are included in this database. Ecosystems: We will include monitoring of environmental variables from any and all ecosystems in Rhode Island: air, land, salt water, and fresh water. Geographic Boundaries: We will limit the database to monitoring programs with sampling stations in Rhode Island. If it is easy to locate the information, we will also include out-of-state sampling stations that are in Rhode Island - based watersheds.
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