Author: Susan B. Norton
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439870136
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 518
Book Description
Edited by experts at the leading edge of the development of causal assessment methods for more than two decades, Ecological Causal Assessment gives insight and expert guidance on how to identify cause-effect relationships in environmental systems. The book discusses the importance of asking the fundamental question "Why did this effect happen?" before moving on to "How can we fix it?" The book provides a deeper understanding of different philosophical and analytical approaches, and of cognitive tendencies that can lead to errors. It describes formal processes for causal assessment that are particularly helpful when the situation is complex or contentious. It also describes how to approach the analysis of available data and to optimize collection efforts. The text then details a transparent process that helps others replicate results and can be used to convince skeptics that the true cause has been identified. Several detailed case studies show how to apply the process to streams, watersheds, and a terrestrial wildlife population. Causal assessment is a challenging, but endlessly fascinating endeavor. Success requires the persistence to figure things out and solid strategies for using the information that you have and getting more of the right kind of information that you need. This book gives you just that: the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to successfully unravel tough environmental problems and build the knowledge base for effective management solutions.
Ecological Causal Assessment
Author: Susan B. Norton
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439870136
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 518
Book Description
Edited by experts at the leading edge of the development of causal assessment methods for more than two decades, Ecological Causal Assessment gives insight and expert guidance on how to identify cause-effect relationships in environmental systems. The book discusses the importance of asking the fundamental question "Why did this effect happen?" before moving on to "How can we fix it?" The book provides a deeper understanding of different philosophical and analytical approaches, and of cognitive tendencies that can lead to errors. It describes formal processes for causal assessment that are particularly helpful when the situation is complex or contentious. It also describes how to approach the analysis of available data and to optimize collection efforts. The text then details a transparent process that helps others replicate results and can be used to convince skeptics that the true cause has been identified. Several detailed case studies show how to apply the process to streams, watersheds, and a terrestrial wildlife population. Causal assessment is a challenging, but endlessly fascinating endeavor. Success requires the persistence to figure things out and solid strategies for using the information that you have and getting more of the right kind of information that you need. This book gives you just that: the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to successfully unravel tough environmental problems and build the knowledge base for effective management solutions.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439870136
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 518
Book Description
Edited by experts at the leading edge of the development of causal assessment methods for more than two decades, Ecological Causal Assessment gives insight and expert guidance on how to identify cause-effect relationships in environmental systems. The book discusses the importance of asking the fundamental question "Why did this effect happen?" before moving on to "How can we fix it?" The book provides a deeper understanding of different philosophical and analytical approaches, and of cognitive tendencies that can lead to errors. It describes formal processes for causal assessment that are particularly helpful when the situation is complex or contentious. It also describes how to approach the analysis of available data and to optimize collection efforts. The text then details a transparent process that helps others replicate results and can be used to convince skeptics that the true cause has been identified. Several detailed case studies show how to apply the process to streams, watersheds, and a terrestrial wildlife population. Causal assessment is a challenging, but endlessly fascinating endeavor. Success requires the persistence to figure things out and solid strategies for using the information that you have and getting more of the right kind of information that you need. This book gives you just that: the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to successfully unravel tough environmental problems and build the knowledge base for effective management solutions.
Ecological Causal Assessment
Author: Susan B. Norton
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439870152
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 516
Book Description
Edited by experts at the leading edge of the development of causal assessment methods for more than two decades, Ecological Causal Assessment gives insight and expert guidance on how to identify cause-effect relationships in environmental systems. The book discusses the importance of asking the fundamental question "Why did this effect happen?" bef
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439870152
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 516
Book Description
Edited by experts at the leading edge of the development of causal assessment methods for more than two decades, Ecological Causal Assessment gives insight and expert guidance on how to identify cause-effect relationships in environmental systems. The book discusses the importance of asking the fundamental question "Why did this effect happen?" bef
Ecological Causal Assessment
Author: Susan Marie Cormier
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Causation
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Causation
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Ecological Risk Assessment
Author: Glenn W. Suter II
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780873718752
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 564
Book Description
Recently, environmental scientists have been required to perform a new type of assessment-ecological risk assessment. This is the first book that explains how to perform ecological risk assessments and gives assessors access to the full range of useful data, models, and conceptual approaches they need to perform an accurate assessment. It explains how ecological risk assessment relates to more familiar types of assessments. It also shows how to organize and conduct an ecological risk assessment, including defining the source, selecting endpoints, describing the relevant features of the receiving environment, estimating exposure, estimating effects, characterizing the risks, and interacting with the risk manager. Specific technical topics include finding and selecting toxicity data; statistical and mathematical models of effects on organisms, populations, and ecosystems; estimation of chemical fate parameters; modeling of chemical transport and fate; estimation of chemical uptake by organisms; and estimation, propagation, and presentation of uncertainty. Ecological Risk Assessment also covers conventional risk assessments, risk assessments for existing contamination, large scale problems, exotic organisms, and risk assessments based on environmental monitoring. Environmental assessors at regulatory agencies, consulting firms, industry, and government labs need this book for its approaches and methods for ecological risk assessment. Professors in ecology and other environmental sciences will find the book's practical preparation useful for classroom instruction. Environmental toxicologists and chemists will appreciate the discussion of the utility for risk assessment of particular toxicity tests and chemical determinations.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780873718752
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 564
Book Description
Recently, environmental scientists have been required to perform a new type of assessment-ecological risk assessment. This is the first book that explains how to perform ecological risk assessments and gives assessors access to the full range of useful data, models, and conceptual approaches they need to perform an accurate assessment. It explains how ecological risk assessment relates to more familiar types of assessments. It also shows how to organize and conduct an ecological risk assessment, including defining the source, selecting endpoints, describing the relevant features of the receiving environment, estimating exposure, estimating effects, characterizing the risks, and interacting with the risk manager. Specific technical topics include finding and selecting toxicity data; statistical and mathematical models of effects on organisms, populations, and ecosystems; estimation of chemical fate parameters; modeling of chemical transport and fate; estimation of chemical uptake by organisms; and estimation, propagation, and presentation of uncertainty. Ecological Risk Assessment also covers conventional risk assessments, risk assessments for existing contamination, large scale problems, exotic organisms, and risk assessments based on environmental monitoring. Environmental assessors at regulatory agencies, consulting firms, industry, and government labs need this book for its approaches and methods for ecological risk assessment. Professors in ecology and other environmental sciences will find the book's practical preparation useful for classroom instruction. Environmental toxicologists and chemists will appreciate the discussion of the utility for risk assessment of particular toxicity tests and chemical determinations.
Cause and Correlation in Biology
Author: Bill Shipley
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521529211
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
This book goes beyond the truism that 'correlation does not imply causation' and explores the logical and methodological relationships between correlation and causation. It presents a series of statistical methods that can test, and potentially discover, cause-effect relationships between variables in situations in which it is not possible to conduct randomised or experimentally controlled experiments. Many of these methods are quite new and most are generally unknown to biologists. In addition to describing how to conduct these statistical tests, the book also puts the methods into historical context and explains when they can and cannot justifiably be used to test or discover causal claims. Written in a conversational style that minimises technical jargon, the book is aimed at practising biologists and advanced students, and assumes only a very basic knowledge of introductory statistics.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521529211
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
This book goes beyond the truism that 'correlation does not imply causation' and explores the logical and methodological relationships between correlation and causation. It presents a series of statistical methods that can test, and potentially discover, cause-effect relationships between variables in situations in which it is not possible to conduct randomised or experimentally controlled experiments. Many of these methods are quite new and most are generally unknown to biologists. In addition to describing how to conduct these statistical tests, the book also puts the methods into historical context and explains when they can and cannot justifiably be used to test or discover causal claims. Written in a conversational style that minimises technical jargon, the book is aimed at practising biologists and advanced students, and assumes only a very basic knowledge of introductory statistics.
Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology
Author: Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199378789
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
This completely updated edition of Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology offers a practical introduction to exposure assessment methodologies in environmental epidemiologic studies. In addition to methods for traditional methods -- questionnaires, biomonitoring -- this new edition is expanded to include geographic information systems, modeling, personal sensoring, remote sensing, and OMICs technologies. In addition, each of these methods is contextualized within a recent epidemiology study, maximizing illustration for students and those new to these to these techniques. With clear writing and extensive illustration, this book will be useful to anyone interested in exposure assessment, regardless of background.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199378789
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
This completely updated edition of Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology offers a practical introduction to exposure assessment methodologies in environmental epidemiologic studies. In addition to methods for traditional methods -- questionnaires, biomonitoring -- this new edition is expanded to include geographic information systems, modeling, personal sensoring, remote sensing, and OMICs technologies. In addition, each of these methods is contextualized within a recent epidemiology study, maximizing illustration for students and those new to these to these techniques. With clear writing and extensive illustration, this book will be useful to anyone interested in exposure assessment, regardless of background.
Assessing the Sustainability and Biological Integrity of Water Resources Using Fish Communities
Author: Thomas P. Simon
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000102882
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 692
Book Description
This book examines the application of fish community characteristics to evaluate the sustainability and biological integrity of freshwaters. Topics include perspectives on use of fish communities as environmental indicators in program development, collaboration, and partnership forming; influence of specific taxa on assessment of the IBI; regional applications for areas where the IBI had not previously been developed; and specific applications of the IBI developed for coldwater streams, inland lakes, Great Lakes, reservoirs, and tailwaters.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000102882
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 692
Book Description
This book examines the application of fish community characteristics to evaluate the sustainability and biological integrity of freshwaters. Topics include perspectives on use of fish communities as environmental indicators in program development, collaboration, and partnership forming; influence of specific taxa on assessment of the IBI; regional applications for areas where the IBI had not previously been developed; and specific applications of the IBI developed for coldwater streams, inland lakes, Great Lakes, reservoirs, and tailwaters.
Fundamentals of Environmental Assessment
Author: Glenn W. Suter II
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000882977
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
Based on the "go to" book in the field of ecological risk assessment, this shorter, principles-based, updated textbook is essential for students and new practitioners who want to understand the purposes of environmental assessments and how to achieve them. It includes environmental risks to humans as well as nonhuman populations and ecosystems, and most types of environmental assessments. Drawing upon the author’s extensive experience in the field, first as a senior research staff member in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge Laboratory and then as science advisor in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Assessment, the book explains fundamental principles and basic techniques and illustrates them with example applications which carry through multiple chapters and make this book a practical and hands-on guide. Both the content and the style are inviting and approachable to different levels of students. Features Integrates human health and ecological assessments. Includes epidemiological, risk, causal, impact, and outcome assessments. Focuses on fundamental principles that are applicable in all nations and legal contexts. Employs an engaging style and draws on the author’s practical experience. Explains fundamental concepts in short chapters, making it perfect for beginners in the field. Explains the challenges and rewards of a career in environmental assessment. This book is a practical guide for senior and graduate students in environmental sciences and management, as well as new practitioners of assessment who want to understand the purposes of environmental assessments and how to achieve them.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000882977
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
Based on the "go to" book in the field of ecological risk assessment, this shorter, principles-based, updated textbook is essential for students and new practitioners who want to understand the purposes of environmental assessments and how to achieve them. It includes environmental risks to humans as well as nonhuman populations and ecosystems, and most types of environmental assessments. Drawing upon the author’s extensive experience in the field, first as a senior research staff member in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge Laboratory and then as science advisor in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Assessment, the book explains fundamental principles and basic techniques and illustrates them with example applications which carry through multiple chapters and make this book a practical and hands-on guide. Both the content and the style are inviting and approachable to different levels of students. Features Integrates human health and ecological assessments. Includes epidemiological, risk, causal, impact, and outcome assessments. Focuses on fundamental principles that are applicable in all nations and legal contexts. Employs an engaging style and draws on the author’s practical experience. Explains fundamental concepts in short chapters, making it perfect for beginners in the field. Explains the challenges and rewards of a career in environmental assessment. This book is a practical guide for senior and graduate students in environmental sciences and management, as well as new practitioners of assessment who want to understand the purposes of environmental assessments and how to achieve them.
Critical Appraisal of Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials
Author: Mark Elwood
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191004944
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 615
Book Description
This book presents a logical system of critical appraisal, to allow readers to evaluate studies and to carry out their own studies more effectively. This system emphasizes the central importance of cause and effect relationships. Its great strength is that it is applicable to a wide range of issues, and both to intervention trials and observational studies. This system unifies the often different approaches used in epidemiology, health services research, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine, starting from a logical consideration of cause and effect. The author's approach to the issues of study design, selection of subjects, bias, confounding, and the place of statistical methods has been praised for its clarity and interest. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and the applications of this logic to evidence-based medicine, knowledge-based health care, and health practice and policy are discussed. Current and often controversial examples are used, including screening for prostate cancer, publication bias in psychiatry, public health issues in developing countries, and conflicts between observational studies and randomized trials. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized in the appendix. The final chapters give six applications of the critical appraisal of major studies: randomized trials of medical treatment and prevention, a prospective and a retrospective cohort study, a small matched case-control study, and a large case-control study. In these chapters, sections of the original papers are reproduced and the original studies placed in context by a summary of current developments.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191004944
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 615
Book Description
This book presents a logical system of critical appraisal, to allow readers to evaluate studies and to carry out their own studies more effectively. This system emphasizes the central importance of cause and effect relationships. Its great strength is that it is applicable to a wide range of issues, and both to intervention trials and observational studies. This system unifies the often different approaches used in epidemiology, health services research, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine, starting from a logical consideration of cause and effect. The author's approach to the issues of study design, selection of subjects, bias, confounding, and the place of statistical methods has been praised for its clarity and interest. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and the applications of this logic to evidence-based medicine, knowledge-based health care, and health practice and policy are discussed. Current and often controversial examples are used, including screening for prostate cancer, publication bias in psychiatry, public health issues in developing countries, and conflicts between observational studies and randomized trials. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized in the appendix. The final chapters give six applications of the critical appraisal of major studies: randomized trials of medical treatment and prevention, a prospective and a retrospective cohort study, a small matched case-control study, and a large case-control study. In these chapters, sections of the original papers are reproduced and the original studies placed in context by a summary of current developments.
Environmental and Health Risk Assessment and Management
Author: Paolo Ricci
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402037767
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 494
Book Description
This book is about the legal, economical, and practical assessment and management of risky activities arising from routine, catastrophic environmental and occupational exposures to hazardous agents. It includes a discussion of aspects of US and European Union law concerning risky activities, and then develops the economic analyses that are relevant to implementing choices within a supply and demand framework. The book also discusses exposure-response and time-series models used in assessing air and water pollution, as well as probabilistic cancer models, including toxicological compartmental, pharmaco-kinetic models and epidemiological relative risks and odds ratios-based models. Statistical methods to measure agreement, correlation and discordance are also developed. The methods and criteria of decision-analysis, including several measures of value of information (VOI) conclude the expositions. This book is an excellent text for students studying risk assessment and management.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402037767
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 494
Book Description
This book is about the legal, economical, and practical assessment and management of risky activities arising from routine, catastrophic environmental and occupational exposures to hazardous agents. It includes a discussion of aspects of US and European Union law concerning risky activities, and then develops the economic analyses that are relevant to implementing choices within a supply and demand framework. The book also discusses exposure-response and time-series models used in assessing air and water pollution, as well as probabilistic cancer models, including toxicological compartmental, pharmaco-kinetic models and epidemiological relative risks and odds ratios-based models. Statistical methods to measure agreement, correlation and discordance are also developed. The methods and criteria of decision-analysis, including several measures of value of information (VOI) conclude the expositions. This book is an excellent text for students studying risk assessment and management.