Defining Acceptable Levels for Ecological Indicators: An Approach for Considering Social Values |
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Authors: | Robyn L Smyth Mary C Watzin Robert E Manning |
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Institution: | (1) Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA |
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Abstract: | Ecological indicators can facilitate an adaptive management approach, but only if acceptable levels for those indicators have
been defined so that the data collected can be interpreted. Because acceptable levels are an expression of the desired state
of the ecosystem, the process of establishing acceptable levels should incorporate not just ecological understanding but also
societal values. The goal of this research was to explore an approach for defining acceptable levels of ecological indicators
that explicitly considers social perspectives and values. We used a set of eight indicators that were related to issues of
concern in the Lake Champlain Basin. Our approach was based on normative theory. Using a stakeholder survey, we measured respondent
normative evaluations of varying levels of our indicators. Aggregated social norm curves were used to determine the level
at which indicator values shifted from acceptable to unacceptable conditions. For seven of the eight indicators, clear preferences
were interpretable from these norm curves. For example, closures of public beaches because of bacterial contamination and
days of intense algae bloom went from acceptable to unacceptable at 7–10 days in a summer season. Survey respondents also
indicated that the number of fish caught from Lake Champlain that could be safely consumed each month was unacceptably low
and the number of streams draining into the lake that were impaired by storm water was unacceptably high. If indicators that
translate ecological conditions into social consequences are carefully selected, we believe the normative approach has considerable
merit for defining acceptable levels of valued ecological system components. |
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Keywords: | Ecosystem indicators Acceptable levels Normative theory Social norm curves Adaptive management Lake Champlain Social preferences |
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