Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program - 2008 habitat map, Chandeleur Islands Region

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Examples of BICM datasets include still and video aerial photography for documenting shoreline changes, shoreline positions, habitat mapping, land change analyses, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations, single-beam and swath bathymetry, and sediment grab samples. For more information about the BICM program, see Kindinger and others (2013). The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The current effort of this habitat mapping program includes developing habitat maps for 2008 and 2015-2016 for the following BICM regions: 1) West Chenier; 2) East Chenier; 3) Acadiana Bays (only Marsh Island); 4) Early Lafourche Delta; 5) Late Lafourche Delta; 6) Modern Delta (only Chaland Headland and Shell Island); and 7) Chandeleur Islands. Additionally, a habitat change analysis will be conducted comparing reaches mapped in 2008 and 2015-2016. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was developed specifically for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. To ensure comparability between this effort and previous BICM map products, we have crosswalked the detailed classes to general habitat classes previously used by Fearnley and others (2009). Kindinger, J.L., Buster, N.A., Flocks, J.G., Bernier, J.C., and Kulp, M.A., 2013, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program summary report: Data and analyses 2006 through 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013 - 1083, 86 p., accessed April 3, 2017, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1083/. Fearnley, S., Brien, L., Martinez, L., Miner, M., Kulp, M., and Penland, S., 2009b, Louisiana barrier-island comprehensive monitoring program (BICM) - Volume 5: Chenier Plain, south-central Louisiana, and Chandeleur Islands, habitat mapping and change analysis 1996 to 2005, Part 2: Habitat, land loss, and mosaic maps: Prepared for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Restoration Division by the University of New Orleans, Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, New Orleans, Louisiana, 296 p., https://www.lacoast.gov/reports/project/BICM5_part1_habitat%20methods.pdf. Barbier, E.B., Hacker, S.D., Kennedy, C., Koch, E.W., Stier, A.C., and Silliman, B.R., 2011, The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services: Ecological Monographs, v. 81, p. 169 - 193, https://doi.org/10.1890/10-1510.1.

屏障岛综合监测（Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring, BICM）项目由路易斯安那州海岸保护与修复管理局（Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, CPRA）发起，作为全系统评估与监测计划（System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program, SWAMP）的组成部分实施。该项目结合历史数据与当代采集数据，对屏障岛的航空与水下范围、生境类型、沉积物质地与岩土特性、环境过程以及植被组成的变化开展评估与监测。

BICM数据集的示例包括用于记录海岸线变化的静态航空摄影与动态航空视频、海岸线位置数据、生境制图数据、土地变化分析结果、用于地形高程测量的激光雷达（light detection and ranging, lidar）测绘数据、单波束与条带测深数据，以及沉积物抓样。

如需了解BICM项目的更多信息，请参阅Kindinger等（2013）的相关报告。美国地质调查局湿地与水生研究中心（U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center）为BICM项目提供技术支持，具体工作包括利用航空影像与激光雷达高程数据制作生境制图产品，以及评估生境随时间的变化情况。上述数据可全面呈现当前屏障岛生境的现状快照，还可与过往及/或未来的制图成果结合，实现对这些珍贵自然资源的长期动态监测。

本次生境制图工作的当前任务为以下7个BICM研究区域制作2008年与2015-2016年的生境地图：1）西希尼尔区域；2）东希尼尔区域；3）阿卡迪亚纳湾（仅涵盖马什岛）；4）早期拉富什三角洲；5）晚期拉富什三角洲；6）现代三角洲（仅涵盖尚兰岬与贝壳岛）；7）尚德勒尔群岛。此外，本次工作还将针对2008年与2015-2016年的制图区域开展生境变化对比分析。

BICM项目已制定两套生境分类方案，分别为详细的15类生境分类体系与通用的8类生境分类体系。其中详细分类体系专为本次生境制图工作制定，其构建基础为此前BICM生境制图工作中采用的通用分类体系（Fearnley等，2009）。详细分类体系新增的分类单元主要用于进一步细分各类沙丘生境、区分沼泽与红树林生境，以及分辨海滩与无植被屏障滩涂生境。为保障本次工作与既往BICM制图产品的可比性，我们已将详细分类体系中的各类别对应转换至Fearnley等（2009）此前采用的通用生境分类体系。

以下为相关参考文献：
1. Kindinger, J.L.、Buster, N.A.、Flocks, J.G.、Bernier, J.C.及Kulp, M.A.，2013，路易斯安那州屏障岛综合监测（BICM）项目总结报告：2006至2010年的数据与分析：美国地质调查局公开文件报告2013-1083，共86页，2017年4月3日访问于http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1083/。
2. Fearnley, S.、Brien, L.、Martinez, L.、Miner, M.、Kulp, M.及Penland, S.，2009b，路易斯安那州屏障岛综合监测计划（BICM）——第5卷：路易斯安那州中南部希尼尔平原与尚德勒尔群岛，1996至2005年生境制图与变化分析，第2部分：生境、土地流失与镶嵌地图：由路易斯安那州新奥尔良大学庞查特雷恩环境科学研究所为路易斯安那州自然资源部海岸修复司编制，共296页，https://www.lacoast.gov/reports/project/BICM5_part1_habitat%20methods.pdf。
3. Barbier, E.B.、Hacker, S.D.、Kennedy, C.、Koch, E.W.、Stier, A.C.及Silliman, B.R.，2011，河口与海岸生态系统服务的价值：生态学专论，第81卷，第169-193页，https://doi.org/10.1890/10-1510.1。