In addition to the more standard quantitative uncertainty assessment (number, units and the spread of those numbers), the NUSAP approach also includes an evaluation of the reliability of the information (assessment) and its the scientific basis (pedigree).
Our framework reveals that some of these different ways of dealing with uncertainty can also be seen in the different categories in the framework with the quantitative uncertainties being more 'embraced' and the 'qualitative' uncertainties being generally more 'hidden'.
Such a phenoform clustering approach would provide a more quantitative framework for defining intergrades and uncertainty in mapping.
Nevertheless, there is a tendency towards developing more quantitative, higher-tier models, capable of incorporating uncertainty into their analyses.
While the science of restoration ecology has been developed to address many critical ecosystem management issues, the high degree of complexity and uncertainty associated with these issues demands a more quantitative approach.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve will survey the mess in Europe and the recent softening of almost all data points in the American economy (in part as a result of uncertainties about Europe) and decide whether to do anything this week in the way of more "quantitative easing" -- i.e., buying U.S. debt obligations to keep rates down and thus encourage risk taking in the economy.
Finally, as a longer term prospect in view of uncertainties in modeling mechanisms of cyclic slip, crack nucleation and growth, such modeling can serve to support more quantitative predictions of fatigue lifetime as a function of microstructure.
Although the second pathway has the potential to garner a more quantitative and evolutionarily grounded metric of biodiversity, the researcher must still confront the possibilities of biased results due to uncertainty in the phylogenetic tree.
More quantitative easing?
That may mean more quantitative easing.
