Description
rateDefined is effort > 0, rate = events/effort then and zero otherwise; zeroExposure is effort === 0.
Ecological sampling summaries distinguish effort, weighted support, taxon counts and relative composition. A denominator-specific fraction or single-species contribution need not describe abundance, completeness or a whole-community index.
rateDefined is effort > 0, rate = events/effort then and zero otherwise; zeroExposure is effort === 0.
When to use this tool
Use Ecological Effort Zero Exposure Flag when checking a supplied ecological effort, support or count convention.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter events, effort. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read rateDefined, rate, zeroExposure. Inspect rateDefined, zeroExposure before interpreting the associated values.
Require nonnegative whole events and nonnegative effort. rateDefined is effort > 0, rate = events/effort then and zero otherwise; zeroExposure is effort === 0.1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| events | Events | Required. Safe integer; minimum 0. |
| effort | Effort | Required. Finite number; minimum 0. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| rateDefined | Rate Defined | Required. Boolean. |
| rate | Supplied rate on the declared period or quantity basis; percentage conversion is not inferred. | Required. Finite number. |
| zeroExposure | Zero Exposure | Required. Boolean. |
{
"input": {
"events": 3,
"effort": 0
},
"output": {
"rateDefined": false,
"rate": 0,
"zeroExposure": true
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Nonzero events with zero effort still yield an undefined placeholder rather than an infinite rate. Effort suitability, detection and inference about abundance are not assessed.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
- Numeric calculations use binary floating point unless exact decimal-integer arithmetic is explicitly stated. No hidden measurement tolerance or decimal rounding is added; nonfinite or out-of-contract results are rejected. Numeric signed-zero results are exported as zero.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use an appropriate sampling, detection and community-analysis method for inference beyond these local summaries.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Observation Effort Offset Factor
effortFactor = referenceEffort/effort; referenceEquivalent = observations*effortFactor.
- Plot Sampling Fraction Weight
eligibleArea is their difference; samplingFraction = sampledArea/eligibleArea; expansionWeight is its reciprocal.