Conceptual ecological models to guide integrated landscape monitoring of the Great Basin

The Integrated Landscape Monitoring Pilot Project (ILM) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in response to the need of its partner agencies for a monitoring and predictive capability that addresses changes in broad landscapes and waterscapes. Human communities and needs are nested within landscapes formed by interactions among the hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Understanding the complex processes that shape landscapes and deriving ways to manage them sustainably while meeting human needs require sophisticated modeling and monitoring. The long-term goals of the ILM are to 1. Identify, evaluate, and validate system components that are indicators of landscape change;