Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tools to Characterize the Environmental Setting

  • Chapter
Tools to Aid Environmental Decision Making

Abstract

Many tools are used to characterize environmental conditions. People often use these devices without even thinking of them as tools. Simple examples include binoculars, hand lenses, thermometers, or other instruments that enhance human senses and are a part of many biologists’ tool kits. At the other extreme are sophisticated tools, such as computer simulation models, laboratory analyses, or statistics, which require considerable training or auxiliary equipment to use. Decision makers who use environmental data are sometimes not aware of the diversity of tools available or the assumptions involved in their use.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aber, J.D., Melillo, J.M., and Federer, C.A. 1982. Predicting the effects of rotation length, harvest intensity, and fertilization on fiber yield from northern hardwood forests in New England. Forest Science 28:31–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agren, G.I., McMurtie, R.E., Parton, W.J., Pastor, J., and Shugart, H.H. 1991. State-of-the-art of models for production-decomposition linkages in conifer and grassland ecosystems. Ecological Applications 1:118–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andren, H. 1994. Effects of habitat fragmentation on birds and mammals in landscapes with different proportions of suitable habitat: A review. Oikos 71:355–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartell, S.M., Gardner, R.H., and O’Neill, R.V. 1992. Ecological Risk Estimation. Ann Arbor, MI Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belcher, D.W., Holdaway, M.R., and Brand, G.J. 1982. A Description of Stems, the Stand and Tree Evaluation and Modeling System. General Technical Report NC-79. ST. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, D.P., Hunsaker, D.B., Jr., and Marmorek, D.R. 1993. Tools for improving predictive capabilities of environmental impact assessments, structured hypotheses, audits and monitoring. In: S.G. Hildebrand and J.B. Cannon (Eds.). Environmental Analysis: The NEPA Experience. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. Pp. 547–564.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boden, T.A., Kaiser, D.P., Sepanski, R.J., and Stoss, F.W. 1994. Trends ‘83: A Compendium of Data on Global Change ORNL/CDIAC-65. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bossel, H. 1994. Modeling and Simulation. Wellesley, MA: A.K. Peters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Botkin, D.B. 1992. Forest Dynamics: An Ecological Model. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D.R., Kane, H., and Acres, E. 1993. Vital Signs 1993: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banal, F.L. and Sculler, K.A. 1975. ABISKO II: A computer simulation model of carbon flux in tundra ecosystems. In: T. Rosswall and O.W. Heal (Eds.). Structure and Function of Tundra Ecosystems Ecological Bulletin 20. Stockholm: Swedish National Science Research Council. Pp. 425–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, L.H., Drayes, J.D., and Hunsaker, C.T. 1992. Climate Change and Water Supply, Management, and Use: A Literature Review ORNL/CDIAC-52. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. 1986. The Handbook of Ecological Monitoring. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council on Environmental Quality. 1979. Environmental Quality 1979: Tenth Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality. Washington, D.C: USGPO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale, V.H., Franklin, R.L.A., Post, W.M., and Gardner, R.H. 1991. Sampling eco logical information: Choice of sample size. Ecological Modelling 57:1–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, V.H. and Gardner, R. 1987. Assessing regional impacts of growth declines using a forest succession model. Journal of Environmental Management 24:83–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale, V.H., Offerman, H., Pearson, S., and O’Neill, R.V. 1994a. Effects of forest fragmentation on neotropical fauna. Conservation Biology 8:1027–1036.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, V.H., O’Neill, R.V., Southworth, F., and Pedlowski, M.A. 1994b. Modeling effects of land management in the Brazilian settlement of Rondônia. Conserva-tion Biology 8:196–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, V.H. and Rauscher, H.M. 1994. Assessing impacts of climate change on forests: The state of biological modeling. Climatic Change 28:65–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, J.V. 1971. Species using red-cockaded woodpecker holes in northeastern South Carolina. Bird Banding 42:79–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle, T. 1981. The role of disturbance in the gap dynamics of a montane rain forest: An application of a tropical forest succession model. In: D.C. West, H.H. Shugart, and D.B. Botkin (Eds.). Forest Succession: Concepts and Applications. New York: Springer-Verlag. Pp. 56–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Draggan, S., Cohrssen, J.J., and Morrison, R.E. 1987. Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Management. New York: Praeger Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eco-Inforum. 1996. Proceedings of Eco-Informa ‘86: Global Networks for Environmental Information, Nov. 4–7, 1996, Lake Buena Vista, FL. Ann Arbor, MI: Environmental Research Institute of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D. 1996. Comment: The first data analysis should be journalistic. Ecological Applications 6:1090–1094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, A.M. 1996. An introduction to Bayesian inference for ecological research and environmental decision-making. Ecological Applications 6:1036–1046.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emanuel, W.R., Shugart, H.H., and Stevenson, M.P. 1985. Climate change and the broad scale distribution of terrestrial ecosystem complexes. Climate Change 7:29–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esser, G. 1989. Global land use changes from 1860 to 1980 and future projections to 2,500. Ecological Modelling 44:307–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golden, J., Oullette, R.P., Saari, S., and Cheremisinoff, P.N. 1980. Environmental Impact Data Book. Ann Arbor, MI: Ann Arbor, Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grainger, A. 1990. Modelling deforestation in the humid tropics. In: M. Palo and G. Mery (Eds.). Deforestation or Development in the Third World? Bulletin 349, Vol. III. Helsinki, Finland: Finnish Forest Research Institute. Pp. 51–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, R.H. 1979. Sampling Design and Statistical Methods for Environmental Biologists. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greig-Smith, P. 1983. Quantitative Plant Ecology (3rd ed.). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, K.L. and Pake, C.E. 1996. Final Report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the Future of Long-Term Ecological Data (FLED). Washington, D.C.: Ecological Society of America.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haefner, J.W. 1996. Modeling Biological Systems: Principles and Applications. New York: Chapman and Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hain, F.P. and Arthur, F.N. 1985. The role of atmospheric deposition in the latitudinal variation of fraser fir mortality caused by the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Hemipt., Adelgidae): A hypothesis. Zeitschrift fuer Angewandte Entomologie 99:145–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, J.D., Parton, W.J., and Innis, G.S. 1985. Plant growth and production of grassland ecosystems: A comparison of models. Ecological Modelling 29:131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heasley, J.E., Lauenroth, W.K., and Yorks, T.P. 1984. Simulation of SO, impacts. In: W.K. Lauenroth and E.M. Preston (Eds.). The Effects of SO, on a Grassland. New York: Springer-Verlag. Pp. 161–184.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hildebrand, S.G. and Cannon, J.B. (Eds.). 1993. Environmental Analysis: The NEPA Experience. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huff, D.D., Luxmoore, R.J., Mankin, J.B., and Begovich C.L. 1977. TEHM: A Terrestrial Ecosystem Hydrology Model EDFB/IBP-76/8. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurlbert, S.H. 1984. Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments. Ecological Monographs 54:187–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, L.R., Graham, R.L., and Cook, E.A. 1994. Regional forest cover estimation via remote sensing: The calibration center concept. Landscape Ecology 9:159–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J.B.C. et al. 1989. Ecological effects of a major oil spill on Panamanian Coastal Marine Communities. Science 243:37–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, E.A. and Gutsell, S.L. 1994. Fire frequency models, methods, and interpretations, Advances in Ecological Research 25:239–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, G.M. 1965. Explicit estimates from capture-recapture data with both death and immigration: Stochastic model. Biometrika 52:225–247.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D.W. and O’Neill, R.V. 1992. Endogenous environmental degradation and land conservation: Agricultural land use in a large region. Ecological Economics 6:79–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen, S.E. 1979. Handbook of Environmental Data and Ecological Parameters. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen, S.E., Nielsen, S.N., and Jorgensen, L.A. 1991. Handbook of Ecological Parameters and Ecotoxicology. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen, S.E. 1994. Fundamentals of Ecological Modeling. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, L.A. and Kickert, R.N. 1987. Applied plant growth models for grazing lands, forest, and crops. In: K. Wisiol and J.D. Hesketh (Eds.). Plant Growth Modeling for Resource Management. Volume I: Current Models and Methods. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Pp. 17–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, A.W. and DeAngelis, D.L. 1986. Site-Specific Seasonal Models of Carbon Fluxes in Terrestrial Biomes ORNL/TM-9749. Oak Ridge. TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambin, E.F. 1994. Modelling Deforestation Processes. Trees Series B, Report 1. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Community.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauenroth, W.K., Hunt, H.W., Swift, D.M., and Singh, J.S. 1986. Estimating aboveground net primary production in grasslands: A simulation approach. Ecological Modelling 33:297–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leavesley, G.H., Markstrom, S.L., Brewer, M.S., and Viger, R.J. 1996. The modular modeling system (MMS): The physical process modeling component of a database-centered decision support system for water and power management. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 90:303–311.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, P.H. 1945. On the use of matrices in certain populations mathematics. Biometrika 33:183–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luxmoore, R.J. 1983. Water budget of an eastern deciduous forest stand. Soil Science Society of America Journal 47:785–791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKelvey, R. and Hull, V. (Eds.). 1996. Special issue: Ecological resource modeling. Ecological Modelling 92.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. 1993. Issues in Risk Assessment. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill, R.V., Gardner, R.H., Turner, M.G., and Romme, W.H. 1992. Epidemiology theory and disturbance spread on landscapes. Landscape Ecology 7:19–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ott, W.R. 1995. Environmental Statistics and Data Analysis. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paine, R.T. 1980. Food webs: Linkage, interaction strength, and community infrastructure. Journal of Animal Ecology 49:667–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, J. and Post, W.M. 1988. Response of northern forests to CO, induced climate change. Nature 334:55–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, C.S., Fitzpatrick, J.W., and Hamel, P.B. 1989. A warbler in trouble: Dendroica cerulea. In: J.M. Hagan, III, and D.W. Johnston (Eds.). Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Land Birds. Washington, D.C.: Manomet Bird Observatory and Smithsonian Institution Press. Pp. 549–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, K.A., Brenkert, A.L., Cook, R.B., Gardner, R.H., and Hettelingh, J.P. 1991. Systematic comparison of ILAWS, MAGIC, and ETD watershed acidification models. 2. Monte Carlo analysis under regional variability. Water Resources Research 27:2591–2063.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, H., Bossel, H., Krieger, H., and Trost, N. 1988. Modeling the responses of mature forest trees to air pollution. GeoJournal 17:279–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Southern Appalachian man and the Biosphere Cooperative (SAMAB). 1996. The Southern Appalachian Assessment five volumes. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stalnaker, C.B. 1993. Fish habitat evaluation models in environmental assessments. In: S.G. Hildebrand and J.B. Cannon (Eds.). Environmental Analysis: The NEPA Experience. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. Pp. 140–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suter, G.W. 1993. Ecological Risk Assessment. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. Swartzman, G.L. and Kaluzny, S.P. 1987. Ecological Simulation Primer. New York: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swartzman, G. 1996. Resource modeling moves into the courtroom. Ecological Modelling 92:277–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, C.J. 1979. Red and photographic infrared linear combinations monitoring vegetation. Remote Sensing of Environment 8:127–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, M.G., Gardner, R.H., Dale, V.H., and O’Neill, R.V. 1989. Predicting the spread of disturbances across heterogeneous landscapes. Oikos 55:121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 1992. Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment EPA/630/R-92/001. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Risk Assessment Forum.

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA Quality Assurance Management Staff. 1994. Guidance for the Data Quality Objectives Process EPA QA/G-4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Winkle, W. (Ed.). 1977. Assessing the Effects of Power-Plant-Induced Mortality on Fish Populations. New York: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • VEMAP. 1995. Vegetation/ecosystem modeling and analysis project: Comparing biogeography and biogeochemistry models in a continental-scale study of terrestrial ecosystem responses to climate change and CO, doubling. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 9:407–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westman, W.E. 1985. Ecology, Impact Assessment, and Environmental Planning. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiens, J. 1996. Oil, seabirds, and science: The effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. BioScience 46:587–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfson, L.J., Kadane, J.B., and Small, M.J. 1996. Bayesian environmental policy decisions: Two case studies. Ecological Applications 6:1056–1066.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Virginia H. Dale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert V. O’Neill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. William R. Miller III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6036, USA

    Virginia H. Dale (Senior Scientist) (Senior Scientist)

  2. Energy, Environment and Resources Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-4134, USA

    Mary R. English (Research Leader) (Research Leader)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dale, V.H., O’Neill, R.V., Miller, W.R. (1999). Tools to Characterize the Environmental Setting. In: Dale, V.H., English, M.R. (eds) Tools to Aid Environmental Decision Making. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1418-2_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1418-2_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-98556-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-1418-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation