Identifying indicators helps simplify the modeling and monitoring of complex ecosystems. No resource manager has the capacity or funds to measure everything all of the time, so evaluating specific indicators related to ecosystems helps us understand the effects of stressors on species and ecosystems, effectiveness of management actions, and whether the selected monitoring targets are effective indicators for gauging management actions. The Desert LCC seeks to identify those species and ecological processes that are sensitive to climate change and other large-scale stressors that can be effectively monitored to understand the overall effects of these stressors on ecosystems, habitats, and species and provide guidance on the best monitoring designs and protocols to detect changes to these processes and species at landscape scales.
For more information go to: https://desertlcc.org/issue/landscape-scale-monitoring