ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING: A Synoptic Approach for Assessing CumulativeImpacts to Wetlands

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Ecology
• Environmental Management

Background:

• Cumulative impacts on wetlands pose significant environmental challenges.
• Existing tools for assessing cumulative impacts often face regulatory constraints.
• There is a need for practical methods to inform regional environmental prioritization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the synoptic approach as a novel method for assessing cumulative impacts on wetlands.
• To provide a framework for comparing landscape subunits for environmental management.
• To develop a tool that balances rigorous results with timely information.

Main Methods:

• The synoptic approach utilizes available information and best professional judgment.
• It involves making comparisons between landscape subunits (e.g., watersheds, ecoregions).
• The method is designed to be a compromise between data rigor and information timeliness.

Main Results:

• The synoptic approach offers a general and comprehensive view of the environment for impact assessment.
• It facilitates the consideration of cumulative impacts in management decisions.
• Assessments are timely, relatively low-cost, and can be completed within one to two years.

Conclusions:

• The synoptic approach is suitable for decision-making when quantitative data is limited or costly to obtain.
• It is valuable for resource managers needing to set priorities among multiple decisions.
• The effectiveness of the synoptic approach relies on incorporating relevant environmental knowledge.