Uses of Environmental Monitoring

Environmental monitoring looks at changes in various environmental systems due to a variety of factors. The precise factors monitored depend on the type of system being monitored. In many cases, the results of environmental monitoring result in changes and regulations to help keep natural systems healthy and usable.

Water Quality

• Environmental monitoring often checks on the quality of waterways and water systems. Water monitoring looks both at water quantity and water quality. Water quantity can become an issue if water is used further upstream, lowering flows of waterways downstream. Water quality monitoring looks at pollution levels and tries to establish the source of pollutants that affect both the water as a habitat and affects the usability of the water for consumption. Water quality monitoring involves taking samples from various waterways or water sources and analyzing them for contaminants and pollutants.

Air Quality

• The environmental monitoring of air quality is similar to that of water quality. Air samples show high levels of various pollutants, which can help indicate their source, thus allowing for the management of air pollution sources. Although many people envision air quality environmental monitoring as being primarily an urban need, monitoring air quality in rural areas sometimes shows pollutants from distant sources.

Species Diversity

• Environmental monitoring of species populations includes both monitoring of native species populations and of non-native populations. In some cases, especially with plant species management, non-native species can become invasive and replace older, native species. In some cases, animal population monitoring can show how a domestic species gone wild has adversely affected a local species, such as problems with declines in native birds, mammals, and other animals in Australia because of problems with feral cats.