Project
Description
The Compendium will be designed to aid park managers in identifying
and selecting methods for their specific planning efforts. The final
product will include:
- A
list and concise summary of methods from across a broad range
of habitats
- Key
descriptors of each method (e.g., applicable habitat type,
list of functions) organized so users can select a method(s) appropriate
for their application
- Decision
matrix to aid user in selecting a method(s)
- Case
studies to illustrate how methods are used, separately or
combined.
The final
product, the Compendium, will likely be a valuable document for NPS
and other agencies and non-government organizations that assess natural
resources.
The survey is being conducted to ensure that we include as many methods
as possible. Currently there is no national listing of assessment methods.
The Team is familiar with most federal and several state/local methods,
but we recognize that there are others. The purpose of the survey is
to first gather information about methods not on our current list. Then
we can develop a list and concise summary of methods
from across a broad range of habitats.
During the survey we will obtain and review copies of the newer methods,
methods under development, and updated publications for older methods.
We will extract information that can be used by park managers in deciding
whether the method is applicable for their study area (e.g., habitat
types, list states where method has used, functions assessed, scale
of assessment, type of data requirements, estimated time to assess a
site). These key descriptors of each method will be
organized and then be displayed (e.g., figures, tables) so park managers
can easily select applicable methods.
The process of selecting a method follows a sequence of questions and
decisions. For this reason the Team will develop a decision
matrix. For example, one of the first decisions a park manager
makes is to define the general study objectives (e.g., inventory of
habitat, assess condition of habitat, identify potential restoration
sites). The Compendium will include a listing of the methods and the
objectives that they are designed to address. The manager can quickly
refer to the lists and narrow down the list of possible methods. After
identifying the potential methods, the manager can move to the next
decision and further narrow down the list (e.g., identify the state
and methods that have been used in that state). The decision matrix
will help guide the manager through a logical sequence of questions
that should be asking when selecting a method.
We believe that it is important to have examples of how methods have
been used on actual projects. For this reason, we plan to include case
studies. The manager can then review these brief summaries
to learn how a method can be used separately or in combination with
other methods. These case studies should also address potential questions
about strengths and/or limitations for certain applications.
The
Compendium will be a written publication and will include the items
listed above: the method summaries, key descriptors of methods in figures/tables,
the decision matrix, and case studies. The Compendium will also be available
on-line in an interactive form. The
final product will likely be a valuable document for NPS and other agencies
and non-government organizations that assess natural resources.
Project
schedule: October 2003 – Spring 2005
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Survey
Updated:
Jan. 23, 2004