Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System (CADDIS)

• Common Candidate Causes
• Interactive Conceptual Models

Links to Interactive Conceptual Models

Interactive Conceptual Models

Phosphorus

Interactive Conceptual Models Home

Interactive Conceptual Models (ICMs) are visual tools which use conceptual model diagrams as structural frameworks for organizing and accessing information about specific stressors. Information relevant to individual stressors is linked to diagrams illustrating relationships among stressors and their potential sources and biological effects. By clicking on the diagram you can access stressor-specific information on particular shapes and linkages, to gain a better understanding of how that stressor may be operating in your stream.

An ICM that provides supporting literature information currently is available for phosphorus—you can click on two or more shapes in the diagram to view citation information for references supporting the selected linkage (download the ICM instructions (PDF) (6 pp, 490K, About PDF) for detailed descriptions of the ICM structure and how to use it). The purpose of this ICM is to quickly and efficiently provide you with scientific papers relevant to specific linkages that interest you, which you can then apply in your own causal assessment.

We are developing ICMs for additional stressors, and incorporating additional types of information into each ICM. Please contact us with your suggestions for the ICM project.

Quick Start

• Click on the Select Shapes button (the pointing hand) on the top toolbar of the ICM.
• Select any light blue shape by clicking on it.  It will turn yellow.
• Select any purple-highlighted shape.  These shapes are linked by the literature to the previous (yellow) shape you selected.
• Modify your query by selecting additional purple-highlighted shapes of interest, or by deselecting (clicking a second time) any yellow-highlighted shapes. Remember—yellow-highlighting indicates shapes you’ve selected; purple-highlighting indicates shapes linked by the literature to the most recent shape you’ve selected.
• Click on the References window to view supporting literature for each of the linkages you selected.
• Select and save citations of interest to the Citation Cart.
• Click on the Citation Cart button to view and download citations from your queries.