Reporting Units

A consistent unit of measure across all functions and services provides a holistic understanding of ecosystem health.

Example: Infiltration on a Hypothetical 10-Acre Site

Percent Performance Percent of maximum potential performance a function or service achieves.

Functional/Service Acre Percent performance, weighted by the area in which it is being performed.
A measure of QUALITY and QUANTITY.

Function/Service Acres

8

Percent Performance

80%

Function/Service Acres

3

Percent Performance

30%

Percent Performance

Outputs

Percent of maximum potential performance a given function/service achieves – in a given location or cumulatively – on the site. ​

A consistent unit of measure across media. Scores generally reflect the push-pull found in natural systems. ​

Scores nearing 100% are often the result of engineered solutions intended to optimize performance for a certain purpose (e.g., pavement achieves a 100% score for interception).​​

Typical Use

  • Understanding performance at a site level​

  • Optimizing site design – impact minimization and benefit optimization​

  • Informing siting decisions​

  • Convenient for understanding tradeoffs and for supporting stakeholder outreach efforts

Function/Service Acres

Outputs

Percent of maximum potential performance a given function or service achieves, weighted by the area in which it is being performed.​

A measure of quality and quantity – the total amount of benefit provided to society. ​

Total function/service acres can exceed the actual acreage of the site and these benefits can be stacked, recognizing that the land performs more than one function at a time.​

Typical Use

  • Site selection; understanding how one site compares to another in terms of potential impact and community benefit​

  • Mitigating or offsetting impacts on- or off-site; provides a unit of measure that can be used as a "debit” or a "credit”​

  • Helps project planners understand that not all acres are created equal; enables rational conversations and negotiations about what it takes to minimize, offset, mitigate, and achieve positive performance outcomes​