2.2.3 Mechanisms spatial and temporal design: Results and next steps

Overview                      Choosing a spatial and temporal design                      Results and next steps

At this stage in Step 2 (designing a monitoring program), you will have a clear idea about the trade-offs that must be made when choosing among spatial and temporal designs that are oriented toward understanding more about causal mechanisms behind the observed changes in salmon indicators. Each of those designs has advantages and disadvantages. Ideally, you will now have a few top-ranked candidate designs to explore further with the rest of the steps in this web site.

Up to this point, the questions involved in designing a monitoring program have diverged for two types of users, (1) those who only intend to determine the current status and/or time trends in status of salmon populations, and (2) those who wish to know more about the causal mechanisms behind the observed changes in those salmon indicators. However, from here onward, these two types of users will work through the same design questions, starting next with the "response design", which deals with how sampling will be done.   

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