What is it?
A visual mapping technique that shows how stock (e.g., amount of fish) increases or decreases over time as a result of specific flows (e.g., rate of regeneration of fish). While easily confused with Causal Loop Mapping and Cognitive Mapping, Stock and Flow Diagrams are different in that they are more precise about how much variables relate to each over time. These diagrams are helpful in the context of a specific issue or field (e.g., fishery conservation). They can be used independently, as part of a Systems Mapping process or for System Dynamics Modeling. For more information on Stock and Flow Diagrams, please see Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows.