Within the vast Great Basin landscape, the pilot's initial emphasis is monitoring ecological characteristics, particularly ecological functions. This emphasis does not exclude human dimensions because of the close linkages between people and nature; however, the science mission of the USGS, the available scientific information, the nature of issues in the Great Basin and the needs of natural resource managers have led the project development team to focus on ecological functions.

Why Integrated Landscape Monitoring

As landscape change accelerates, it is increasingly important to understand and predict the cumulative effects of management activities and environmental factors, such as climate change. The summation of local change leads to cumulative and synergistic effects that society often seeks to describe and manage. Extensive, rapid change often results in conflict and litigation, and our society increasingly considers cumulative effects in legal and regulatory decisions. Landscape analysis and monitoring enables managers to consider and prioritize options for mitigation and restoration and understand how local actions relate to landscape-scale issues.