Application of index number theory to the construction of a water quality index: Aggregated nutrient loadings related to the areal extent of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Whittaker, Gerald; Barnhart, Bradley; Färe, Rolf; Grosskopf, Shawna

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.10.003

Cited by 29 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Furthermore, discussions on objective criteria for In/Ix evaluation based on mathematical/statistical (axiomatic) viewpoints in environmental studies have not advanced as much as the conceptual characteristics of In/Ix systems (Table 1). According to Whittaker et al (2012), the four criteria Fisher (1922) used to evaluate the quality of an indication system are: Homogeneity, Time-reversibility, Transitivity (or Circularity), and Dimensionality (Commensurability). The first axiomatic property, Homogeneity, describes the relationship of changes between inputs and outputs.…”

Section: Criteria For Indicator/index Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the benchmark developers often ask two fundamental questions: (1) "What variables need to be selected for the In/Ix calculation?" and (2) "How can those be converted into In/Ix scores (Meadows, 1998;Whittaker et al, 2015)?" Each question or step in the In/Ix development has been explored using subjective, objective, or a combination of subjective/objective approaches (Bastida et al, 2008).…”

Section: General Pros and Cons Of Indication Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whittaker et al (2012) revealed that statistical methods, such as factor analyses and ordination techniques, were prominently found in over 800 publications of their comprehensive literature review to develop environmental In/Ix. However, the most widely used approaches for environmental In/Ix assessment (including PCA, discriminant analysis, fuzzy logic, and cluster analysis) did not meet most of the axiomatic criteria for sound In/Ix development (Whittaker et al, 2015). This critique of inappropriate methodology environmental In/Ix development entails soil-specific In/ Ix.…”

Section: Constraints In Current Indicator/index Quantification Researmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This technique uses the linear programming method that handles multiple inputs/outputs and is adaptable to different scenarios (i.e., returns to scales) (Banker et al, 2011;Cooper et al, 2011). When inputs and outputs are collected over different periods or regions, external factors, such as time, are influential on the productivity levels (Whittaker et al, 2015). Considering these cases, the MI originally proposed by Malmquist (1953), was applied as an extension of DEA method to the productivity analysis (Caves et al, 1982a).…”

Section: Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New Soil Index Development and Integration with Econometric Theory

Mizuta

Grunwald

Phillips

2018

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Soil scientists have worked on the conceptualization and contextualization of soil-related notions, such as soil quality, soil health, and soil security, over the past few decades. We reviewed the massive amount of literature regarding those major concepts, and summarized definitions, visions, and constraints. Indicators (In) and indices (Ix) are well suited to aggregate soil and environmental data to assess soil quality, health, and security quantitatively. Our literature review showed that (i) more sophisticated quantification methods are necessary; (ii) often only a single soil property and/or class is modeled rather than more complex soil functions, risks, or services; (iii) there is a lack of harmonization, standardization, and reference frameworks that allow soil comparisons across regions and time; and (iv) methods frequently used to calculate soil In/Ix, such as ordination and factor analysis, do not consider rigorous axiomatic criteria of scientific sound indication systems. In summary, the complex soil concepts stand in sharp contrast to the applied indication methods in the soil science discipline. We investigated the potential to apply econometrical methods to assess soil quality, health, and security that serve as alternatives to more traditional In/Ix in soil science. A case study demonstrated the profound transformative potential of linking econometricssoil-environmental sciences.

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Section: Criteria For Indicator/index Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Pros and Cons Of Indication Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Constraints In Current Indicator/index Quantification Researmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

New Soil Index Development and Integration with Econometric Theory

Mizuta

Grunwald

Phillips

2018

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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“…Water quality indices (WQIs) aggregate individual water quality parameters (e.g., pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, fecal coliform counts, etc.) into a single, easily understood and easily communicated value (e.g., Bordalo et al, 2006;Lumb et al, 2006;S anchez et al, 2007;Simsek and Gunduz, 2007;Ramakrishnaiah et al, 2009;Gazzaz et al, 2015;Whittaker et al, 2015). In general, WQIs are constructed by identifying the key chemical or physical water parameters that lead to the targeted outcomes, converting the measurements to unitless subindex values and aggregating the subindex values to achieve a single overall index.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Incorporating the Impact of Water Quality on Water Supply Stress: An Example from Louisiana, USA

Borrok

Chen

Eldardiry

et al. 2017

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Water of poor quality can directly impact the budget of water available for key user groups. Despite this importance, methods for quantifying the impact of water quality on water availability remain elusive. Here, we develop a new framework for incorporating the impact of water quality on water supply by modifying the Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI). We demonstrate the usefulness of the framework by investigating the impact of high salinity waters on the availability of irrigation water for agriculture in Louisiana. The WaSSI was deconstructed into sectoral components such that the total available water supply could be reduced for a particular demand sector (agricultural irrigation in this example) based on available water quality information. The results for Louisiana highlight substantial impacts on water supply stress for farmers attributable to the landward encroachment of saline surface water and groundwater near the coast. Areas of high salinity near the coast also increased the competition for freshwater resources among the industrial, municipal, and agricultural demand sectors in the vicinities of the municipal areas of Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The framework developed here is easily adaptable for other water quality concerns and for other demand sectors, and as such can serve as a useful tool for water managers.

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Literature Study for Dea Environmental Assessment

2018

Environmental Assessment on Energy and Sustainability by Data Envelopment Analysis

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Application of index number theory to the construction of a water quality index: Aggregated nutrient loadings related to the areal extent of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 29 publications

References 64 publications

New Soil Index Development and Integration with Econometric Theory

New Soil Index Development and Integration with Econometric Theory

A Framework for Incorporating the Impact of Water Quality on Water Supply Stress: An Example from Louisiana, USA

Literature Study for Dea Environmental Assessment

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