Wednesday February 5, 2025
PhysOrg —
As ecosystems around the planet undergo rapid transformations, policymakers and land managers are grappling with a pressing question: When is it time to stop resisting ecological changes and accept a new normal?
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology may offer decision-makers guidance and support in navigating the increasingly difficult—if not impossible—task of conserving historical ecological baseline conditions.
“The decision of when to resist and when to accept involves a lot of uncertainty,” stressed lead author Abby Keller, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. “Luckily, we can use mathematical concepts from decision theory to support rational decision-making under uncertainty.”
The study authors—who include Associate Professor Carl Boettiger—examined efforts to manage the European green crab, an invasive marine species that has spread to every continent except Antarctica.