Environmental monitoring encompasses tasks of biodiversity monitoring and monitoring of the quality of both soil and air, as well as water.
Environmental monitoring is a practice that is implemented in a specific place for a certain time in order to evaluate and monitor the state and conditions that the environment presents at that moment.
Just as today there are methods that facilitate this task and technological advances that greatly benefit it, the challenges linked to environmental monitoring are constantly renewed. That is why researchers continually strive to perfect sampling techniques, work as best as possible in complex ecosystems , and to train and equip themselves well enough to overcome obstacles and limitations when making readings or evaluations in a scenario marked by climate change and/or extreme phenomena.
In order to ensure that every corner of the planet is conducive to each of the species that inhabit the Earth , it is essential that various monitoring stations remain active on a global scale with the purpose of permanently evaluating the quality of the soil, air and the water With this data available, early detection of problems and rapid intervention to try to solve them or mitigate their effects are favored.
Types of environmental monitoring
Formally, two pairs of types of environmental monitoring are recognized, which complement each other and reflect a comprehensive overview of the state of a specific environment.
One of them is water quality monitoring . Biological, physical and chemical parameters are analyzed in this framework to find out and verify, based on the samples studied, whether these water resources present a zero, low, medium or high level of contamination or if there is any factor that puts them at risk. to nature or human health (as occurs with the acidification of the oceans and the excessive amount of nitrates and phosphates in waters , to specify two possibilities).
Biodiversity monitoring is another of the varieties that is taken into account. This process is decisive for designing species conservation strategies and for optimal management of natural resources . Monitoring of endangered species and fishing , control over invasive species and management of protected areas are linked to this category.
Nor should we overlook soil quality monitoring aimed at detecting the concentration of contaminating substances or materials in a particular territory and being able to characterize and evaluate the biological, chemical and physical properties of a surface. At this point, the focus is on erosion , the degree of contamination , the salinity of the soil , etc.
There is also monitoring focused on establishing air quality , whose measurement is summarized in the so-called Air Quality Index (AQI) . It is useful for detecting greenhouse gas emissions , to mention a reference.
It is also enriching to know that ecosystem monitoring is specifically segmented with the objective of supervising aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in detail without leaving aside control over the human population.
There are more and more technologies and tools that allow optimal monitoring of plastics in oceans.
Importance
The greatest value recognized in environmental monitoring lies in its contribution to optimal management of natural resources and the preservation of the environment.
Thanks to it, it is possible to warn of the presence of contaminants that threaten, for example, the quality of water and/or air in a certain region. It also provides information regarding the level of biodiversity conservation in the geographical area examined.
Carrying out environmental monitoring is key and necessary to identify the causes of alterations or deterioration evident in nature. They are procedures that enrich scientific research and help minimize, prevent or counteract the negative consequences of certain human actions.
The results obtained from this type of monitoring serve to take preventive measures and create collective awareness about the need to adopt environmentally friendly habits . They also evaluate the environmental impact of urbanization plans or works and whether the provisions aimed at avoiding environmental phenomena and realities that translate into problems of food security , soil degradation and, ultimately, prevent Living beings enjoy a good quality of life .
Glacier monitoring provides useful information to, for example, develop effective strategies to deal with the effects of climate change.
Environmental monitoring methods and tools
Environmental monitoring is achieved thanks to the knowledge of many people, the implementation of methods for this purpose and the use of modern tools.
For example, Earth observation satellites have been designed and drones have been used for environmental monitoring for some time now. Remote sensors , remote sensing , aerial photography equipment and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are other allies of those dedicated to environmental monitoring . Of course, beyond field work, sample analyzes are carried out in laboratories using various techniques.