Land use change and effects on water quality and ecosystem health in the Lake Tahoe basin, Nevada and California

摘要: Human activity in the Lake Tahoe Basin has increased substantially past four decades, causing significant impacts on quality and clarity of lake's famous deep, clear water. Protection surrounding environment become an important recent years. A variety agencies, including Regional Planning Agency, Research Group University California at Davis, Desert Institute Community College System Nevada, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a host State (both Nevada California) local agencies have been monitoring conducting research order to understand how lake functions what extent humans affected its landscape ecosystem processes. In spite all these activities, there remains lack comprehensive land use change data analysis for Basin. project is underway that unites cover mapping expertise USGS National Mapping Discipline with hydrologic Water Resources assess urban growth Three activities are planned over next 3 years: (1) current historic state surface, (2) document patterns, rates, trends urbanization, change, health, (3) assessing causes consequences regard water health. We hypothesize changes corresponding increases impervious surfaces decreases natural vegetation resulted severe health integrity, riparian zones time. acting multiple fronts test this hypothesis through quantification disturbances impacts.