Condition: The current state of the indicator based on the aggregation of its metrics

• Good: The condition goal is 75–100% met
• Caution: The condition goal is 26–74% met
• Significant Concern: The condition goal is 0–25% met
• Unknown: Not enough information is available to determine condition

Condition Goal: The desired, measurable state for each metric against which monitoring data are compared

Confidence: The amount of certainty with which the condition and trend are assessed

• High: Measurements are based on recent, reliable, suitably comprehensive monitoring
• Moderate: Monitoring data lacks some aspect of being recent, reliable, or comprehensive; however, measurements are also based on recent expert or scientist observation
• Low: Monitoring is not sufficiently recent, reliable, or comprehensive; but either some supporting data exists or measurements are also based on expert or scientific opinion
• Desired Conditions: The qualitative goal for the overall indicator; the threshold or state it should be in to be considered healthy; often identified as a recovery target for rare/listed species

Indicator: The species, community, or physical process (e.g., stream flow/water quantity) that provides an essential ecological function, or are indicative of essential habitat conditions, and are measured as an indication of health; indicators are akin to human vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse: easily measured and strongly correlated with overall condition, sensitive to stressors, and an early warning of potential problems

Metric: How an aspect of an indicator is assessed or measured

Overall Condition: The combined current state of the indicator based on the totality of its metrics

Stressors: Things that challenge the integrity of ecosystems and the quality of the environment, which may be natural environmental factors, or may result from the activities of humans; some stressors exert a relatively local influence, while others are regional or global in their scope

Trend: The change in condition as determined by comparing current versus previous measures; the trend is independent of current condition (e.g., a resource may be “Declining” but still be in “Good” condition)

• Improving: The condition is getting better
• No Change: The condition is unchanging
• Declining: The condition is deteriorating/getting worse
• Unknown: Not enough information is available to state a trend