|
 Use
the nature and intensity of effects to distinguish adverse ecological
changes from normal ecosystem variability or changes resulting in
little or no significant alteration of biota.
Here are some things to remember when evaluating nature and intensity
of effects:
- Consider both ecological and statistical contexts when evaluating
intensity; for example, a statistically significant 1 percent
decrease in fish growth may not be relevant to an assessment endpoint
of fish population viability, and a 10 percent decline in reproduction
may be worse for a population of slowly reproducing trees than
for rapidly reproducing planktonic algae.
- Natural ecosystem variation can make it difficult to detect
stressor-related perturbations.
- Cyclic events of various periods (e.g., bird migrations, tides)
may mask or delay stressor-related effects.
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Asking the
Right Questions
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Relevant
guidelines section(s): 5.2.2
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