Ecological Indicators for the Nation

Environmental indicators, such as global temperatures and pollutant concentrations, attract scientists' attention and often make the headlines. Equally important to policymaking are indicators of the ecological processes and conditions that yield food, fiber, building materials and ecological "services" such as water purification and recreation. This book identifies ecological indicators that can support U.S. policymaking and also be adapted to decisions at the regional and local levels. The committee describes indicators of land cover and productivity, species diversity, and other key ecological processes - explaining why each indicator is useful, what models support the indicator, what the measured values will mean, how the relevant data are gathered, how data collection might be improved, and what effects emerging technologies are likely to have on the measurements.The committee reviews how it arrived at its recommendations and explores how the indicators can contribute to policymaking. Also included are interesting details on paleoecology, satellite imagery, species diversity, and other aspects of ecological assessment. Federal, state, and local decisionmakers, as well as environmental scientists and practitioners, will be especially interested in this new book.

ISBN 0309068452   DEWEY edition DC21 ISBN13 9780309068451 (What's this?)   Pages 198 Publisher National Academies Press   Volumes 1 Imprint National Academies Press   Weight (grammes) 481 Format Hardback   Published in Washington Publication date 11 Apr 2000   Height (mm) 229 Non-book description xvi, 180 p. :   Width (mm) 152 Library of Congress 00-08009   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY 577.0941   Academic level Professional / Scholarly

		Executive Summary		1
1		Introduction		18
		Why Are Ecological Indicators Needed?		18
		This Study		21
		Key Ecological Processes and Products That People Value		22
		Establishing Baselines to Evaluate Trends		23
		Evaluating Indicators		25
		Realistic Expectations about the Value of Indicators		26
2		The Empirical and Conceptual Foundations of Indicators		27
		Scientific Underpinnings of Indicators		29
		Using Multiple Approaches		31
		Historical and Paleoecological Data As Aids to Indicator Development		31
		Sources of Information about Current Ecological Processes		34
		Models to Assess Ecosystem Functioning		43
		The Committee's Conceptual Model for Choosing Indicators		48
3		A Framework for Indicator Selection		51
		Criteria for Evaluating Indicators		52
		Information Handling and Calibration		58
		Data Quality Control, Archiving, and Assignment of Responsibilities		59
		Use of the Committee Framework		62
4		Indicators for National Ecological Assessment		64
		The Extent and Status of the Nation's Ecosystems		67
		Indicators of Ecological Capital: A. Biotic Raw Materials		75
		Indicators of Ecological Capital: B. Abiotic Raw Materials		83
		Indicators of the Performance of the Nation's Ecosystems		90
		Indicators of Nutrient-Use Efficiency and Nutrient Balances in Agroecosystems		104
		More...

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