Sampling activities for indicator measurements should not significantly disturb a site. Evidence should be 

 provided to ensure that measurements made during a single visit do not affect the same measurement at 

 subsequent visits or, in the case of integrated sampling regimes, simultaneous measurements at the site. 

 Also, sampling should not create an adverse impact on protected species, species of special concern, or 

 protected habitats. 



Guideline 4: Logistics 



The logistical requirements of an indicator can be costly and time-consuming. These requirements must be 

 evaluated to ensure the practicality of indicator implementation, and to plan for personnel, equipment, 

 training, and other needs. A logistics plan should be prepared that identifies requirements, as appropriate, 

 for field personnel and vehicles, training, travel, sampling instruments, sample transport, analytical 

 equipment, and laboratory facilities and personnel. The length of time required to collect, analyze and report 

 the data should be estimated and compared with the needs of the program. 



Guideline 5: Information Management 



Management of information generated by an indicator, particularly in a long-term monitoring program, can 

 become a substantial issue. Requirements should be identified for data processing, analysis, storage, and 

 retrieval, and data documentation standards should be developed. Identified systems and standards must 

 be compatible with those of the program for which the indicator is intended and should meet the interpretive 

 needs of the program. Compatibility with other systems should also be considered, such as the internet, 

 established federal standards, geographic information systems, and systems maintained by intended 

 secondary data users. 



Guidelines: Quality Assurance 



For accurate interpretation of indicator results, it is necessary to understand their degree of validity. A quality 

 assurance plan should outline the steps in collection and computation of data, and should identify the data 

 quality objectives for each step. It is important that means and methods to audit the quality of each step are 

 incorporated into the monitoring design. Standards of quality assurance for an indicator must meet those of 

 the targeted monitoring program. 



Guideline 7: Monetary Costs 



Cost is often the limiting factor in considering to implement an indicator. Estimates of all implementation costs 

 should be evaluated. Cost evaluation should incorporate economy of scale, since cost per indicator or cost 

 per sample may be considerably reduced when data are collected for multiple indicators at a given site. Costs 

 of a pilot study or any other indicator development needs should be included if appropriate. 



Phase 3; Response VariabilitY 



It is essential to understand the components of variability in indicator results to distinguish extraneous factors 

 from a true environmental signal. Total variability includes both measurement error introduced during field 

 and laboratory activities and natural variation, which includes influences of stressors. Natural variability can 

 include temporal (within the field season and across years) and spatial (across sites) components. 

 Depending on the context of the assessment question, some of these sources must be isolated and 

 quantified in order to interpret indicator responses correctly. It may not be necessary or appropriate to 

 address all components of natural variability. Ultimately, an indicator must exhibit significantly different 

 responses at distinct points along a condition gradient. If an indicator is composed of multiple measurements, 

 variability should be evaluated for each measurement as well as for the resulting indicator 



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