Trophic Category Classifier

Map actual TSI to explicit caller upper-inclusive category scheme; no universal trophic labels, compound-index completeness or ecological endpoint diagnosis.

Description

Trophic categories divide a continuous index using an explicit scheme.

Trophic categories divide a continuous index using an explicit scheme. Category edge inclusivity changes how exact-boundary values are labeled.^[1]

Enter finite TSI, nonempty strictly increasing edges and one extra distinct nonblank category label. Return the upper-inclusive category and zero-based index.

When to use Trophic Category Classifier

Use Trophic Category Classifier when you need to evaluate the supplied records under the calculation and evidence rules below. No universal labels, combined-index validity or ecological endpoint diagnosis is imposed.

Prepare the observed lake or sample measurements and explicit calibration, reference values or thresholds requested. Keep depth coverage, units, dates and sampling conditions consistent.

How to use Trophic Category Classifier and understand its results

Prepare the observed lake or sample measurements and explicit calibration, reference values or thresholds requested. Keep depth coverage, units, dates and sampling conditions consistent.
Enter observedTsi, callerUpperInclusiveTsiEdges, callerCategoryLabels using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
Read callerTrophicCategory, callerCategoryIndex. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.

Input field	Meaning	Value type; see rules below	Requirement
observedTsi	Observed tsi	number	Required
callerUpperInclusiveTsiEdges	Caller upper inclusive tsi edges	list of number	Required
callerCategoryLabels	Caller category labels	list of string	Required

Enter finite TSI, nonempty strictly increasing edges and one extra distinct nonblank category label. Return the upper-inclusive category and zero-based index.

index=first edge with TSI≤edge, or final category

Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.

Output field	Meaning	Value type
callerTrophicCategory	Caller trophic category	string
callerCategoryIndex	Caller category index	number

json

{
  "input": {
    "observedTsi": 50,
    "callerUpperInclusiveTsiEdges": [
      40,
      50,
      70
    ],
    "callerCategoryLabels": [
      "low",
      "middle",
      "high",
      "very high"
    ]
  },
  "output": {
    "callerTrophicCategory": "middle",
    "callerCategoryIndex": 1
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

No universal labels, combined-index validity or ecological endpoint diagnosis is imposed.

Numeric inputs, where present, must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Numeric lists are limited to 10,000 entries; string lists to 128 strings of at most 128 characters each. The rules above may impose smaller limits. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use TSI Carlson Chlorophyll Calculator: Chlorophyll is an algal-pigment proxy. Carlson’s empirical index relates its concentration to a continuous trophic-state scale. For a complementary task, use TSI Composite Average Calculator: Secchi, phosphorus and chlorophyll indices can disagree for meaningful reasons. NALMS advises against averaging them to estimate algal biomass; this tool only reports caller-requested diagnostic arithmetic.

References

Trophic Category Classifier — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

TSI Carlson Chlorophyll Calculator
Chlorophyll is an algal-pigment proxy. Carlson’s empirical index relates its concentration to a continuous trophic-state scale.
TSI Composite Average Calculator
Secchi, phosphorus and chlorophyll indices can disagree for meaningful reasons. NALMS advises against averaging them to estimate algal biomass; this tool only reports caller-requested diagnostic arithmetic.