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This page
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Indicator summary
The two tables that are used on the pages are separated into an indicator function and structure summary and examples of current status and trends of an indicator and how it is used for ecosystem management.
provides some background and justification for the headings selected to describe each indicator.
Definition and/or background
For each indicator a definition of what that indicator is and any background information on that indicator that would be useful should be included in this section.
For example on a page about indicators in general the following would be appropriate -
"Ecosystem indicators are generally accepted as tools for evaluating ecosystem status and trends (e.g. Shin & Shannon 2010, Shin et al. 2010a,b), identifying key ecosystem processes (e.g. Ojaveer & Eero 2011), serving as signals that something is happening beyond what is actually measured (NRC 2000), and assessing the impacts of human activities and climate forcing (e.g. Coll et al. 2010, Link et al. 2010b, Ojaveer & Eero 2011)." (Fu et al 2012). Indicators can be a useful tool within management frameworks for purposes of communication and decision making (Vandermeulen 1998). Indicators can provide information on trends in the conditions of a phenomenon and has significance extending beyond that associated with the properties of the statistics itself (Vandermeulen 1998). Simple indicators have been found out perform more complex (model based) ones, which are sensitive to data quality (Fulton et al 2005, Link 2005). Indicator performance can be quantified by the ability to detect and/or predict trends in key variables of interest (attributes) (Fulton et al 2005). There is consensus on the need for multiple rather than a single indicator and on the types of indicators that perform well regardless of system type (Medley et al 2009).
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- are directly impacted;
- have high turnover rates, which may provide a noisy but early warning;
- define the habitat, as these often have a disproportionate or keystone role in the system; and
- are from the upper trophic level, which are typically both vulnerable in their own right due to their life history characteristics, but also integrative of pressures and patterns at large scales.
Attribute
An ecological attributes is an aspect of an assemblage or community that correspond to the structure and function of that assemblage or community, which is used to determine the type and extent of its short term and long term impacts on its environment.
For each indicator a definition of what that indicator is and any background information about that indicator should be included in this section.
Attribute
The following is from Fulton et al 2004a -
We use the term attribute to refer to a quantity or aspect of a system that is the real focus of interest or concern. Attributes often correspond to the subject matter in high-level management objectives, such as “(improve) ecosystem health”, “(maintain) ecosystem integrity” and “(conserve) biodiversity” (Fulton et al. 2001). Unfortunately, attributes may not be directly measurable quantities. As a result, indicators that characterise the state of the attribute of interest and then track, or predict, significant changes in this state are used. Where attributes are directly measurable, the attribute and indicator will be identical, such as population biomass, for species where this can be measured. Where direct measurement is impossible or impractical, a suitable indicator is chosen that is a proxy for the attribute of interest. Where the attribute is biomass, a common proxy in fisheries assessment is the catch rate for the species in question. There can be many indicators for the same attribute. The key is to find “robust” indicators that are good proxies for the corresponding attributes, and cost effective in terms of measurement...
In this section list any attributes that are related to this indicator.
Examples of ecological attributes (from Fulton et al (20042004a)) include:
- ecosystem structure -
- ecosystem function
- community structure
- community function
- Eutrophication
- trophic shifts
- trophic structure
- habitat quality
- discard availability
- population structure
- predator-prey balance
- community heterogeneity
- habitat condition
- efficiency of by-catch reduction measures
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The idea of this section was to inform whether the indicator has been developed for fisheries or something else. Most Initially most of the indicator literature I could find to begin with found only dealt with fisheries. I wanted somewhere in the table for , therefore wanted to provide a quick reference to see which ones are highlighting which indicators were used for fisheries management and which are were for some other management use.
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Indicators can be limited to a certain ecological area depending on the type of data that is required or they can be used across all ecosystem. Many indicators are still being development and their use across all ecosystems is still currently in review based on data available and the types of ecosystems that the indicator was initially developed for. This section is intended to highlight any ecosystems that an indicator is not suited to, has not been tested for, or if it is suitable to be used in all ecosystems.
Identified capability
explain how defining demonstrable from aspirational indicators.
- describe check list of points on how decide...ie list of yes/no question that I ask in order to define it as one or the other.
- what tests am I using to allow a species indicator to be used as a higher level (community of whole ecosystem) indicator.
is it demonstrable or not?
ideally want them all to be demonstrative rather than aspirational ...
demonstrable = this indicator definitely shows this by these studies, data sets, etc.
aspirational = this indicator may show this we think but have no data or studies to back it up..which just think that it is a link that can be made.
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There are some problems with ecosystem indicators including, that they are not good early warning indicators, are less sensitive to change and the best indicators are entirely based on models. These models are still in development and need more rigorous scrutiny therefore indicators may not be as robust as lower level indicators (Fulton et al 2004). There are also some good aspects to ecosystem indicators; they are good at describing ecosystem health and are more suited to performance reporting than to decision making (Fulton et al 2004).
Response variables
The indicators can also be divided based on their response variable. .......We have selected four possible variables to be used in this wiki.
Size-based indicators (SBIs) -
- is Is the statistical summary of the size distribution of fish assemblages and populations. The size of an organism is a central factor to key ecological processes. The changes in size distribution may have many ecological or physical causes, including genetic or environment variability in life history characteristics, predictor-prey relationship, and competitive interactions (Shin et al 2005).
- Fishing is always size selective (ie, nets used, target species and by-catch).
- 'Are typically used to describe teh the response of communities or individuals populations to exploitation and may contribute to the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries' (Shin et al 2005).
- Size based indicators are evaluated for their relevance by Shin et al (2005). The theoretical and empirical modelling bases are examined, then their measurability (sampling constraints, availability of size data, potential biases), sensitivity to fishing effects, responsiveness (time of response) and specificity (discrimination of fishing and environmental effects) are examined.
Species-based indicators -
- diversity indices and ordination of species abundance are difficult to interpret, and the effects of fishing is not easily predicted.
Trophodynamic indicators -
- are Can be used for other species beside fish.
Species-based indicators -
- Species-based indicators are frequently used as surrogates for measures of environmental condition and wider biodiversity health. Species selection is crucial in determining an indicator’s metric value and therefore the validity of the interpretation it provides (Butler et al 2012).
- Are often broken down into large groups (eg, mammals, fish, birds, etc).
These indicators can be used to inform the IUCN Red List, which provides evaluations of the conservation status of species by comparing information on distribution, population and trends over time, with standardised quantitative criteria for each of the categories of threat (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable) (see the IUCN Biodiversity document for more details).
Trophodynamic indicators -
- Trophodynamic interactions centre around predation and competition.
- Are most relevant to the mean trophic level of community and the demersal-to-pelagic biomass ratio (Fu et al 2012).
Environmental indicators -
- Are are are most likely related to total system biomass and biomass of specific biological groups variables, (Fu et al 2012).
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The anthropogenic drivers (also called fisheries)
- encompasses Encompasses fisheries exploitation.
- They tend to be related to catch-based indicators (Fu et al 2012).
- Fisheries Fisheries drivers can be derived from the catch time series for an ecosystem (Fu et al 2012).
- These can be analysed on a species basis, in feeding guilds, or by combining feeding guilds (Fu et al 2012).
The trophodynamic drivers (also called trophodynamic interactions)
- tend Tend to be related to the mean tropic level of the community (Fu et al 2012).
- include Include time series related to predator-prey of fishes species (Fu et al 2012).
- used Used to examine bottom up and top down effects on fisheries production (Fu et al 2012).
The environmental drivers (also called biophysical)
- looks Looks at local and basin scale climate factors.
- Temperature one of the strongest environmental drivers. (Fu et al 2012).
- represent Represent thermal or broad-scale oceanographic features that are influential in an ecosystem. (Fu et al 2012).
- examples Examples include: SST, various ocean oscillation and indexes, stratification, freshwater discharge, sea ice cover.
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Current status and trends
Current status and trends in a system are
what was it like in an undisturbed/unexploited system?
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The trend associated with meeting an operational objective can be a limited or target reference point, trajectory or direction. Target stock use in management plans has a tradition of setting reference points points (Jennings 2005). In other fields a reference point can not be made therefore a trajectory or reference direction is used instead. See figure below from Jennings 2005 for an example of points, trajectories and directions. The unexploited, target, precautionary and limit are reference points where as the green arrows are the trajectories or reference directions. These are all measurement of progress of the management performance.
"Reference points that might support management decision making are: 1, reference points for no impaxct, 2. (Jennings 2005) include:
- reference points that show an undisturbed or unexploited system.
- limit reference points
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- that show the values of indicators associated with serious or irreversible harm
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- target reference points
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- that show the preferred values of the indicators.
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- Precautionary reference points may be used to guarantee a high (preferably specified) probability of avoiding a limit
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- because most indicator values include error.
Management strategies and/or objectives
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Canadian Ecological and Monitoring and Assessment Network
References
Bulter, SJ., Freckleton, R.P., Renwick, A.R. and Norris, K. (2012) An objective, niche-based approach to indicator species selection, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 3(2), 317-326.
Fu, C., Gaichas, S., Link, J.S., Bundy, A., Boldt, J.L., Cook, A.M., Gamble, R., Utne, K.R., Liu, H., and Friedland, K.D. (2012) Relative importance of fisheries, trophodynamic and environmental drivers in a series of marine ecosystems. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 459, 169-184.
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