Scorecard key

Condition assesses the current output and quality of the ecosystem good or service compared with output and quality of 20-30 years ago.

Changing capacity assesses the underlying biological ability of the ecosystem to continue to provide the good or service.

Scores are expert judgments about each ecosystem good or service over time, without regard to changes in other ecosystems. Scores estimate the predominant global condition or capacity by balancing the relative strength and reliabilityof the various indicators described in the notes on data quality. When regional findings diverge, in the absence of global quality, weight is given to better-quality data, larger geographic coverage, and longer time series. Pronounced differences in global trends are scored as “mixed” if a net value cannot be determined. Serious inadequacy of current data is scored as “unknown.”