Research Areas > Regional Monitoring > Wetland Regional Monitoring > Historical Ecology

Project Group: Historical Ecology

SCCWRP Research

Loss of large areas of wetlands is often cited as a motivation for wetland restoration and monitoring programs. Though many financial and other resources are spent on these efforts, managers don't always know what the wetland's natural condition was before it was degraded. Historical analysis helps to identify the mechanisms of past decline, provide templates for future restoration, and build context for making decisions about resource allocation.

SCCWRP's historical ecology research works to build an understanding of the historical extent and distribution of southern California's coastal wetlands, river systems, and watersheds. The program has two major components. The first is aimed at developing a framework for historical analysis by providing basic analysis tools and data layers that describe historical wetland conditions. The second consists of working with local partners to assess the historical condition of specific watersheds and other areas of interest. Over the long term, SCCWRP intends to use these two components to produce a conceptual picture of southern California's coastal wetlands and watersheds circa 1850, and to evaluate how changes in land use patterns have influenced change in wetland extent and distribution.

Historical ecology projects include:

• Historical Ecology of Southern California Coastal Wetlands
• Coastal Watershed Historical Ecology