Rethinking discretization to advance limnology amid the ongoing information explosion

Area of Science:

• Aquatic ecology
• Limnology
• Environmental science

Background:

• Limnologists traditionally use a discretized approach to classify and manage waterbodies.
• This discretization has historically aided understanding, management, and communication regarding aquatic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the practice of discretization in limnology.
• To argue for selectively rethinking discretization's extent to advance the field.
• To introduce a framework for evaluating discretization approaches.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of limnological practices.
• Development of a discretization evaluation framework.
• Comparison of discretized versus less-discretized approaches.

Main Results:

• Discretization, while beneficial, may limit research in the era of big data.
• A proposed framework aids in assessing the utility of discretization methods.
• Awareness of discretization's pros and cons is crucial for leveraging big data.

Conclusions:

• Selective reconsideration of discretization is essential for advancing limnology.
• The discretization evaluation framework can guide researchers in choosing appropriate methods.
• This approach helps limnologists harness the potential of the information explosion.