Ecological Modeling for Resource Management

With the use of ecological models, managers and decision makers canmake sure that the ecological systems affected by their decisions areaccurately represented. Unfortunately, the most relevant ecologicalscience and modeling techniques are often not used because managersare not familiar with them or find them inappropriate for theircircumstances. The authors of this volume hope to close the gapbetween the state of the art in ecological modeling and the state ofthe practice in the use of models as decision-making tools. It willserve as a readable introduction to modeling for people involved inresource management and will also review specific applications ofinterest to more experienced modelers.The first chapters detail several successful uses of ecological modelsin resource management. There are then five pairs of chaptersaddressing important issues in ecological modeling, including barriersto the use of modeling in decision making, evolving approaches in thefield, effective use of data, the toolkit approach to management, andthe various scientific and technological investments required forproductive modeling. Ecologists and other scientists will learn howbest to focus their research for practical, real-world applications,and resource managers and other practitioners will learn the mostappropriate methods of understanding dynamic processes and makingprojections about the implications of their decisions.