Ecological Attribute Alteration: Measurement and Evaluation: Activity Assessment Routine: Ecological Systems Component

This technical paper is intended to provide a more complete treatment of implicit principles and assumptions contained in the user's manual for the ecological systems component of the activity assessment routine. The ecological systems component (ESC) defines a method for evaluating changes in an ecosystem which may result from resource use and consumption. This paper begins by characterizing an ecosystem as an organized collection of attributes mutually dependent on energy exchange. The magnitude matrix with which altered energy flows are scaled is described in Chapter 4. The magnitude of an alteration is assessed somewhat differently for the two categories of attributes: discussion of conventions relevant to this distinction is provided in Chapter 5. However, effects on attributes are variable through time, and additional remarks concerning duration are included in Chapter 6. Finally, possible exceptions to the general guidelines for designating the direction of an effect are introduced in Chapter 7.