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Reference Condition Research in NARS
Citation:
Stoddard, J. Reference Condition Research in NARS. NARS National Symposiium, NA, Virtual, April 05 - 07, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
The National Aquatic Resources Surveys a reference site approach to setting expectations for many indicators. This talk explores some of the difficulties inherent in this approach and describes the research currently underway to improve the science of reference condition.
Description:
The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) are a critical source of data regarding the health of aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. Interpreting these data require that scientists be able to estimate how each ecosystem would function in the absence of anthropogenic stressors. For most indicators, these expectations are set using the concept of reference condition. This presentation discusses some of the difficulties inherent in operationalizing this concept, and the research under way to improve the science behind it.