NRCS Ecosystem Indicators Report - Executive Summary

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assigned an "Action Team" the task of facilitating the use of indicators for planning and implementation activities within the agency. While the state-of-the-art in the use of indicators to assess ecosystem processes is not well advanced there are some indicators that can be useful today. The Team developed a model to direct the selection of indicators for use in evaluations of ecosystem condition. The Team also developed a preliminary set of indicators and recommendations for their further development and use. Additional analysis of indicators is needed by the NRCS Science and Technology Consortium.

Evaluations of ecosystem condition require responses to specific questions regarding the interrelationships and integrity of the system's soil, water, air, plant, animal, and human resources through the functioning of ecological processes within the system. Design of the Indicator Selection Model was directed by these concerns: What are the questions that need to be answered in evaluations of ecosystem condition? What are the attributes to measure that provide answers to these questions? How are the attributes measured (what indicator to use)?

The Indicator Selection Model is comprised of seven elements or levels: 1) Ecosystem Aspect - a broad grouping of environmental, ecological, and human community considerations that are common to all natural ecosystems; 2) Framing Questions - the minimum set of diagnostic questions that need to be answered in comprehensive evaluations of ecosystem condition; 3) Ecosystem Components - a listing of related environmental, ecological, socioeconomic, cultural or political factors considered to be important elements of an ecosystem; 4) Assessment Questions - those questions that are formulated in reference to the Framing Questions and their constituent Ecosystem Components; 5) Indicators - the quantitative or qualitative assessments of ecosystem components that are needed in order to answer the Assessment Questions; 6) Measurement - the approach used to measure the variable(s) to be assessed by the Indicator(s); and, 7) Interpretation - the process used to interpret the measured values collected using the Indicator and the Measurement. Initial use of the model is made by entering the system at the first element and proceeding through the remaining levels in a step-wise fashion. Continued application of the model to select additional indicators can be an iterative process, with re-entry at the appropriate level.

The Indicator Selection Model presented in this report is designed to guide stakeholders and resource planners to think beyond single resource issues and consider the condition of the larger ecosystem including human dimensions of the system.

The report concludes with ten (10) recommendations for action by NRCS.

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