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. 2005 Feb 28;360(1454):269–288. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2004.1602

Table 1.

Key attributes of effective indicators of biodiversity.

attribute details
representative includes all species in a chosen taxon, or a representative group.
immediate capable of regular update, ideally, at least on an annual basis.
simplifying information transparent, easy to interpret and visually attractive. Complex information must be presented simply to have impact and communicate.
easily understood non-experts, from policy makers to members of the public, must be able to grasp the issues to have any ownership of them.
quantitative accurate measurement with assessment of error. Shows trends over time, measures a rate of change and changes in the rate.
responsive to change sensitive to environmental change over relatively short time-scales.
timeliness allows rapid identification of trends—an early warning of issues.
susceptible to analysis data can be disaggregated to help understand the underlying patterns and shed light on the potential causes of trends.
realistic to collect quantitative data are available or can be collected readily. Does not require excessive or unrealistic financial resources.
indicative representing more general components or attributes of biodiversity than just the constituent species trends, ideally reflecting ecosystem health.
user driven developed in response to the need of stakeholders.
policy relevant indicators aim to provide signals to policy customers to help them develop and then review policy measures.
stability buffered from irregular, large natural fluctuations.
tractable susceptible to human influence and change.