A landscape ecology assessment of the Tensas River Basin

A group of landscape ecological indicators were applied to biophysical data masked to the Tensas River Basin. The indicators were used to identify and prioritize sources of nutrients in a Mississippi/Atchafalaya River System sub-basin. Remotely sensed data were used for change detection assessment. With these methods, we were able to look at land use practices over the pas t twenty years in the Tensas River Basin of Louisiana. A simple land use cl assification was applied to multispectral scanner (MSS) data from 1972 and 1991. The landscape analysis methods described in this paper will show how to use these methods to assess the impact of human land use practices that are bring implemented to improve environmental quality. Landscape assessmen t methods can be used as a simple, timely, cost effective approach for moni toring, targeting, and modeling ecosystem health in watersheds. Although th is study was conducted in the southeast, the methods described in this pape r may be applicable to western landscapes.