Monitoring environmental change with color slides

Abstract

Monitoring human impact on outdoor recreation sites and view landscapes is necessary to evaluate influences which may require corrective action and to determine if management is achieving desired goals. An inexpensive method to monitor environmental change is to establish camera points and use repeat color slides. Successful monitoring from slides requires the observer to determine if there are increases or decreases of trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants; bare ground or duff; screening by trees; and soil erosion. Illustrated guidelines are given for land managers who must monitor human impact on recreation sites and view landscapes. Slides taken at various intervals demonstrate how to detect differences in views of timber harvesting, disturbed sites, and recreation sites, and suggests what to look for in scenes with subjects viewed from various distances. By using the process, visual sensitivity for detecting and evaluating environmental change, using repeat color photog-raphy, should be increased.