Setting reliability bounds on habitat suitability indices

We expressed quantitative and qualitative uncertainties in suitability inde x functions as triangular distributions and used the mechanics of fuzzy num bers to solve for the distribution of uncertainty around the habitat suitab ility indices derived from them. We applied this approach to a habitat mode l for the Florida Scrub-Jay. The results demonstrate that priorities and de cisions associated with management and assessment of ecological systems may be influenced by an explicit consideration of the reliability of the indic es.