Strategies for ecological effects assessment at DOE energy activity sites

Guidance for the monitoring and assessment of ecological impacts resulting from DOE energy production activities has been developed to improve the accuracy of analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. Basic concepts in monitoring and assessment that can be adapted to site-specific circumstances are stressed. Four major areas of activity that sould be integrated into a comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment program are: field monitoring; laboratory studies; experimental field perturbation studies; and mathematical modeling, both statistical and ecological. Each of these areas is discussed with respect to terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments. Appendices are included that provide references to sampling methodologies.