Unpredictable events such as droughts and hurricanes, which could cause the whole system to collapse, should be considered. All parties should recognize and respect these limits and not attempt to extend them by simply importing more and more energy or creating other artificial support. Ecosystem Monitoring - The effects on surrounding resources of developing and operating facilities should be routinely monitored and evaluated, and actions should be taken immediately to correct problems. This will ensure that the limits of acceptable change are not exceeded and will provide information about the behavior of the system. This information can be used for improved designs.
Indicator species provide useful and efficient monitoring tools.
Users of Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design should review the matrix before committing themselves to a particular approach. Once a potential development approach is identified from the matrix, it is possible to reference other sections of the guidebook or other sources where the approach may be examined in greater detail. If a particular or development approach or activity in the body of the matrix is selected, it may lead to certain negative impacts on the environment. The potential impacts are arranged into three categories - pollution, physical processes, and biological systems. Under these categories are the resultant impacts of an approach or activity - e.g., noise increased, erosion increased, vegetation altered.