Indicators of Climate Change
Introduction
Scientists have developed hundreds of indicators to track how our environment changes over time. This slide show describes several indicators that relate to the causes and effects of climate change.
Bioindicator
Short for biological indicator, a bioindicator is an organism that is monitored to asses the health of a natural environment or ecosystem.
Ecological Indicator
A characteristic of an ecosystem that is related to, or derived from, a measure of biotic or abiotic variable, that can provide quantitative information on ecological structure and function.
Ecological Indicator: A characteristic of the environment that, when measured, quantifies magnitude of stress, habitat characteristics, degree of exposure to a stressor, or ecological response to exposure.
Indicator: Any biological entity or process, or community whose characteristics show the presence of specific environmental conditions or pollutants.
indicator 1) Chemical. A substance that gives a visible change, usually of color, at a desired point in a chemical reaction, generally at a specific end point. 2) Instrumentation. A device which indicates the result of a measurement.
Indicator: 1. A measurable quantity that can be used to evaluate the relationship between pollutant sources and their impact on water quality.
indicator plants
Plants that are characteristic of specific soil or site conditions.
induced pan ...
Indicator
An organism, species, or community whose characteristics show the presence of specific environmental conditions.
Insecticide ...
Indicators
The Hydrangea macrophylla blossoms in pink or blue, depending on soil pH. In acid soils the flowers will be blue, in alkaline soils the flowers will be pink [1] ...
Indicator Compounds: Chemical compounds, such as carbon dioxide, whose presence at certain concentrations may be used to estimate certain building conditions (e.g., airflow, presence of sources).
Indicator chemicals
Chemicals selected from the group of chemicals found at the site and used for a public health evaluation.
indicator (instrument). A device which indicates the result of a measurement.
Indicators
1. A variable, pointer, or index. Its fluctuation reveals the variations in key elements of a system.
I indicator
Definition (english only)
Observed value representative of a phenomenon to study. In general, indicators quantify information by aggregating different and multiple data. The resulting information is therefore synthesised.
risk indicator
See risk marker
risk management
Decision-making process involving considerations of political, social, economic, and engineering factors with relevant risk assessments relating to a potential hazard so as to develop, analyse, ...
Habitat Indicator
A physical attribute of the environment measured to characterize conditions necessary to support an organism, population, or community in the absence of pollutants; e.g.
Indicator a substance which changes colour at a given stage in or as a result of a chemical reaction.
...
An indicator of a soil's susceptibility to raindrop impact, runoff, and other erosive processes.
Soil Gas ...
Exposure Indicator- A characteristic of the environment measured to provide evidence of the occurrence or magnitude of a response indicator's exposure to a chemical or biological stress.
Biologic indicators of exposure study
A study that uses (a) biomedical testing or (b) the measurement of a substance [an analyte], its metabolite, ...
Landscape Indicator
A measurement of the landscape, calculated from mapped or remotely sensed data, used to describe spatial patterns of land use and land cover across a geographic area.
This step results in environmental performance indicators.
Characterization Factor A factor that describes the relative harmfulness of an environmental intervention within one environmental impact category.
Most receivers in the water utility field use either a fixed scale and movable indicator (pointer) such as pressure gage or a movable scale and movable indicator like those used on a circular-flow recording chart. Also called an indicator.
Market price is the traditional economic indicator of value, therefore the value of environmental goods to consumers often cannot be found through traditional methods.
dendroclimatology The use of tree growth rings as proxy climate indicators. Tree rings record responses to a wider range of climatic variables over a larger part of the Earth than any other type of annually dated proxy record.
GIS is being used by many researchers in the environmental field to view a number of different indicators simultaneously as data layers on a geographic grid.
Return On Investment (ROI) - An economic indicator that is used to evaluate the effectiveness of an investment. It is calculated as the ratio of the amount gained or lost relative to the amount invested.
Operation Performance Indicator (OPI) provides information about the environmental performance of the organisation.
Management Performance Indicator (MPI) provides information about management's efforts to influence environmental performance.
Understory species may also serve as indicators of site differences. For example running cedar is found most often on areas which were formerly tilled (and probably eroded) and dwarf palmetto is commonly restricted to somewhat poorly drained areas.
Based on the EPA air quality act, it gives the indicator (number) of different gas phase concentration levels to determine if it is hazardous to be outside or not, that is to breathe the air is a specific region.
Biomarker: A molecular indicator of a specific biological property; a biochemical feature or facet that can be used to measure the progress of disease or the effects of treatment.
Coliform bacteria Bacteria that serve as indicators of pollution and pathogens when found in water. These are usually found in the intestinal tract of humans and other warm-blooded animals.
Provides a method for identifying performance indicators that an organisation can use to monitor its progress towards environmental performance objectives.
Soil Erodibility: An indicator of a soil's susceptibility to raindrop impact, runoff, and other erosive processes.
A sample is "fixed" in the field by adding chemicals that prevent water quality indicators of interest in the sample from changing before laboratory measurements are made.
Fixed-Location Monitoring ...
Its central role in living cells makes it an excellent indicator of the presence of living material in water. A measure of ATP therefore provides a sensitive and rapid estimate of Biomass.
Applied to Escherichia coli and similar bacteria that are found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals, and also found in soil. Coliform bacteria are commonly used as indicators of the presence of pathogenic organisms.
Boiling Point: The temperature at which a component's vapor pressure equals atmospheric pressure. Boiling point is a relative indicator of volatility and generally increases with increasing molecular weight.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria- Bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of mammals. Their presence in water or sludge is an indicator of pollution and possible contamination by pathogens.
Statutory instruments under the Environment Protection Act 1970 that identify beneficial uses of the environment that are to be protected, establish environmental indicators and objectives and define attainment programs to implement the policies.
Opacity: The amount of light obscured by particle pollution in the atmosphere. Opacity is used as an indicator of changes in performance of particulate control systems.
For this reason, economic growth is not always used to show that a country is developing. Many people also look at social indicators for example, increases in the number of hospitals or schools or the amount of births or deaths.
5, if the pH of rainfall is less than 5.5, then the rain is probably polluted by acid gases.
Acids turn litmus paper red, and alkalis turn it blue. With a special paper called universal indicator, you can test levels of acidity.
 See also: Water, Environment, Soil, Air, Condition
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