Assignment No. 3: Indices and Indicators

Scope

Prepare a memorandum for your supervisor and team mates' benefit, using appropriate environmental indicators and indices to describe one of the following resources in your area of study:

air quality
cultural and historical resources
ecological sensitivity and diversity
quality of life
soils and geology
traffic
water quality

This memorandum must allow an educated but uninformed reader to understand the quality and sensitivity of the resource under study and compare it to that found in other settings. Each member of the project team must select a different resource to study and produce an individual report.

Preparation of the Document

Identify at least four environmental indicators, selecting the ones that best represent your particular setting. Estimate the numerical value(s) associated with each indicator based on actual data. Discuss these indicators, giving spatial and/or temporal reference points to allow interpretation of the results. Compare them in terms of usefulness, accuracy, interpretation, and limitations.

Discuss how these indicators can be combined into one or several indices. Discuss possible thresholds that could be associated with these indicators and the related indices.

Don't forget to explain the methodology used to calculate the indicators or indices. If it is complex, it can be simply summed up in the memorandum and presented in full in an appendix.

Notes:

Do not pick resources that are of little or no importance for your particular setting.
This is an open-ended assignment where understanding, reasoning, original thought, judgment and communication skills will be important.

Format

Your document should be 3 to 5 pages long (1.5 line spacing in a reasonable 10 pts to 12 pts font), excluding any tables, figures, and appendices, and presented in memorandum format. Be clear, concise, and specific. Style, grammar and spelling will be considered. This is an individual assignment.

Include at least:

memorandum heading, including date, author, subject, and routing information

identifying headers and footers, including page numbers

summary and explanation of the information presented

short conclusion evaluating the quality and sensitivity of the resource studied

appropriate tables, figures and supporting appendices

list of references

supporting data (in appendix)

Due date: Monday, March 8, 1999 (by 5:00 PM).

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