The consequences of land use change on nutrient exports: a regional scale assessment in south-west Victoria, Australia.
Estimation of nutrient load production based on multi-temporal remotely sensed land use data for the Glenelg-Hopkins region in south-west Victoria, Australia, is discussed. Changes in land use were mapped using archived Landsat data and computerised classification techniques. Land use change has been rapid in recent history with 16% of the region transformed in the last 22 years. Total nitrogen and phosphorus loads were estimated using an export coefficient model. The analysis demonstrates an increase in modelled nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from 1980 to 2002. Whilst such increases were suspected from past anecdotal and ad-hoc evidence, our modelling estimated the magnitude of such increases and thus demonstrated the enormous potential of using remote sensing and GIS for monitoring regional scale environmental processes.
Ierodiaconou
Daniel
D
School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, P.O. Box 423, Warrnambool, Vic. 3280 Australia. danielad@deakin.edu.au
Laurenson
Laurie
L
Leblanc
Marc
M
Stagnitti
Frank
F
Duff
Gordon
G
Salzman
Scott
S
Versace
Vincent
V
D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D005843:Geography; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013686:Telemetry; D014739:Victoria
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen