Identifying Ecological Indicators: An Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program

Abstract

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is initiating the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to monitor the status and trends of the nation's near-coastal waters, forests, freshwater wetlands, surface waters, agroecosystems, and arid lands. This program is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of Agency policies for protecting ecological resources within these systems. Monitoring data collected for all ecosystems will be integrated for national status and trends assessments.