Journal article
Analyzing cause and effect in environmental assessments: Using weighted evidence from the literature
RH Norris, JA Webb, SJ Nichols, MJ Stewardson, ET Harrison
Freshwater Science | Published : 2012
DOI: 10.1899/11-027.1
Abstract
Sound decision making in environmental research and management requires an understanding of causal relationships between stressors and ecological responses. However, demonstrating cause-effect relationships in natural systems is challenging because of difficulties with natural variability, performing experiments, lack of replication, and the presence of confounding influences. Thus, even the best-designed study may not establish causality. We describe a method that uses evidence available in the extensive published ecological literature to assess support for cause-effect hypotheses in environmental investigations. Our method, called Eco Evidence, is a form of causal criteria analysis - a tec..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We wish to acknowledge and thank the researchers involved in the early development of the Eco Evidence method and software (Peter Liston, James Mugodo, Gerry Quinn, Peter Cottingham, Leon Metzeling, Stephen Perris, David Robinson, David Tiller, Glen Wilson, Gail Ransom, and Sam Silva), Steve Wealands and Patrick Lea for developing the released version of the Eco Evidence software, and the many eWater staff and students who were involved in product testing. This manuscript benefited from the careful review of Sue Norton, Glen Suter, and an anonymous referee, and from editorial review by Ann Milligan. The development of Eco Evidence has been funded by the eWater Cooperative Research Centre and the Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology.