Ecosystem studies often report values for pools and fluxes without any indication of uncertainty. This omission arises from the complexity of the calculations and multiple sources of uncertainty involved (e.g., natural variability, measurement error, model structure, model parameters) and from the difficulty of making replicated observations at the relevant scales. Estimates of uncertainty are critical for determining the significance of observed differences, for analyzing trends over time, and for guiding future research investments.
The QUEST Research Coordination Network is dedicated to advancing uncertainty analysis in ecosystem studies. Efforts focus on outreach and research on quantifying uncertainty in five topic areas: soils, biomass, atmospheric deposition, stream water export, and ecosystem budgets.
This website includes sample code, links to papers, and news announcements. We seek input on developing discussion boards, wikis, and tutorials, and we support new collaborations and open-access publication.
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