The State of the Data for Reporting on the Nation’s Ecosystems
In seeking data, we found a classic case of a glass that is both half
empty and half full. In applying the selection criteria outlined above,
we found adequate data for more than half of the selected indicators,
with trends or other context information on many of these, allowing us
to report meaningfully on many aspects of ecosystem condition. However,
substantial gaps remain, and until and unless these gaps are filled, Americans
will not have access to a complete picture of the “state of the nation’s
ecosystems.” Even with these gaps, however, consistent tracking and
reporting of those indicators for which we found adequate data would produce
a much more useful picture of the state of the nation’s ecosystems
than has ever been available.
Our full analysis of data availability and gaps is presented in the Appendix.
Highlights are summarized in Figure 3.2 and described below.
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- This report presents 103 indicators. Data are adequate to support
national reporting for 59. Of these, we have all the desired
data for 34 indicators (
 ).
Important gaps remain for the other 25 indicators ( ).
- Of the 59 indicators with data, we present trends for 31. For
11 other indicators, we provide comparisons against widely accepted
standards, or against undisturbed or “reference” conditions.
For the remaining 17 indicators, neither trends nor appropriate
reference points were available.
- We provide no data for 44 indicators. For 30 of these, data
availability is the only impediment to national reporting. These
indicators are clearly marked with a “data not adequate
for national reporting” label and with this icon:
 .
- For the other 14 indicators for which no data are reported, the problem
is more fundamental: a lack of agreement on how the relevant ecosystem
characteristic can be measured most meaningfully and effectively.
For these indicators, additional work is required in the appropriate
scientific communities to build a consensus on the specific measurements
that should be reported. Indicators in this category are marked
with an “indicator development needed” label and with
this icon:
 .
- Data availability varies by ecosystem: about three-fourths of forest
indicators have some or all data, contrasting with grasslands and shrublands
and urban and suburban areas, where only about 40% have data. Data availability
also varies by ecosystem characteristic: more than 80% of the indicators
of ecosystem extent, chemical contamination, and the quantities of food,
fiber, and water produced in ecosystems have some or all data, while
for several characteristics (landscape pattern and fragmentation, biological
communities, and recreation and other services), fewer than a third
of the selected indicators have adequate data for national reporting.
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