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Many of the aspects of ecosystems chosen for protection are defined
rather theoretically — for instance, "a balanced indigenous
population." (What is "balanced"?) Theoretical definitions
are often too broad or abstract to be of practical use in a risk
assessment. For a risk assessment, the environmental value chosen
for protection must be specific and measurable.
You can achieve the necessary specificity by "operationally
defining" the value so that it comprises:
- An ecological entity (i.e., what will be protected).
- An attribute (i.e., what about that entity you want
to protect).
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 An
assessment endpoint is a specific, measurable ecosystem characteristic
related to a management goal, operationally defined using
an ecological entity and selected attributes.
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Relevant
guidelines section(s): 3.3, 3.3.2
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