Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to know and undertake to meet the speciic targets identiied in
sustainability status indica-
tors.
There are two starting points for delineation of indicators:
1. Starting with the objective itself: In this instance, as an example, we could begin
with a particular item in a natural capital component, e.g., maintaining the quality
of the soil in a tract of land or a particular site. This is important because of the life-
support role of the speciic tract of land. In this instance, one begins by (a) deining
or establishing what indicators are needed as sustainability status indicators, e.g.,
speciics of soil quality as shown, for example, in Figure 9.3; (b) determining the
sources and nature of interactions with the tract of land and their impacts; and
(c) establishing the required actions to ameliorate, mitigate, avoid, and protect the
desired soil quality. Material and macrostatus indicators are established to deter-
mine and track the results of the corrective and protective measures. Figure 9.3
shows the use of status indicators in tracking anticipated or predicted outcomes
from analyses or modeling of the processes initiated by the corrective actions.
Failure to meet tracking results from the status indicators requires one to decide
(a) to ignore indicators or (b) modify or add or correct the actions previously pre-
scribed to manage the impacts.
Sources and nature of
interactions with SITE
SITE soil quality
baseline values
Prediction of outcome of
interactions
Soil quality status indicators
Soil type and texture, physical and
mechanical properties, e.g., density,
rheology, soil-water characteristics,
permeability, compactibility
Soil organics and oxides,
chemical properties, e.g., pH, Eh,
porewater chemistry, extractable
N, P and K, carbonates, organic
carbon, buffering capacity
Microorganisms, electron
acceptors, structural Al, Fe,
Zn, Cu
No
Status indicators (
t
1
)
Corrective and
protective
measures
Prediction of outcome
No
Status indicators (
t
2
)
t
2
>>
t
1
Soil quality sustainability
indicators
FIGURE 9.3
Example of speciication and utilization of system status and material performance (properties) indicators
using sustainability of soil quality as a goal. Note that the physical, chemical, and biological indicators listed
in the soil quality status indicators are meant to portray the kinds of indicators that might be used. (
t
1
) and (
t
2
)
indicate two different times.
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