COMPARING ENVIRONMENTAL-CONDITIONS USING INDICATORS OF POLLUTION HAZARD

Land use/land cover classifications for 1973 and 1991, derived from th e interpretation of satellite imagery, are quantified on the basis of biophysical land units in a study area in southeastern Australia. Nutr ient export potentials are estimated for each land unit based on their composition of land use/land cover classes. Spatial and temporal comp arisons are made or the land units based on the calculated pollution h azard indicators to provide an insight into changes in the state of th e environment and the regional significance of land use changes. For e xample, one ecosystem, unique to the study, showed a large increase in pollution hazard over the study period as a manifestation of an 11-fo ld rise in cleared area and an expansion of cropping activities. The b enefits to environmental management in general are discussed.