Integration of Wireless Sensor Networks into Cyberinfrastructure for Monitoring Hawaiian “Mountain-to-Sea” Environments

Monitoring the complex environmental relationships and feedbacks of ecosystems on catchment (or mountain)-to-sea scales is essential for social systems to effectively deal with the escalating impacts of expanding human populations globally on watersheds. However, synthesis of emerging technologies i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 2008-10, Vol.42 (4), p.658-666
Main Authors: Kido, Michael H, Mundt, Carsten W, Montgomery, Kevin N, Asquith, Adam, Goodale, David W, Kaneshiro, Kenneth Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access control
Aquatic Pollution
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Biotelemetry
Brackish
Computer Communication Networks
Distributed processing
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Ecosystems
Environment
Environmental Management
Environmental monitoring
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Forestry Management
Freshwater
Hawaii
Human influences
Human populations
Hydrologic cycle
Information technology
Internet
Islands
Land use planning
Marine
Natural environment
Nature Conservation
Sensors
Software
Surface water
Telemetry
Valleys
Visualization
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Water quality
Water use
Watersheds
Web portals
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Summary:Monitoring the complex environmental relationships and feedbacks of ecosystems on catchment (or mountain)-to-sea scales is essential for social systems to effectively deal with the escalating impacts of expanding human populations globally on watersheds. However, synthesis of emerging technologies into a robust observing platform for the monitoring of coupled human-natural environments on extended spatial scales has been slow to develop. For this purpose, the authors produced a new cyberinfrastructure for environmental monitoring which successfully merged the use of wireless sensor technologies, grid computing with three-dimensional (3D) geospatial data visualization/exploration, and a secured internet portal user interface, into a working prototype for monitoring mountain-to-sea environments in the high Hawaiian Islands. A use-case example is described in which native Hawaiian residents of Waipa Valley (Kauai) utilized the technology to monitor the effects of regional weather variation on surface water quality/quantity response, to better understand their local hydrologic cycle, monitor agricultural water use, and mitigate the effects of lowland flooding.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/s00267-008-9164-9