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ROBUST DECISION‐MAKING UNDER SEVERE UNCERTAINTY FOR CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT
Author(s) -
Regan Helen M.,
Ben-Haim Yakov,
Langford Bill,
Wilson William G.,
Lundberg Per,
Andelman Sandy J.,
Burgman Mark A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.1890/03-5419
Subject(s) - robustness (evolution) , endangered species , threatened species , risk analysis (engineering) , uncertainty , environmental resource management , decision analysis , computer science , decision theory , ecology , business , economics , biology , mathematics , microeconomics , biochemistry , statistics , mathematical economics , habitat , gene
In conservation biology it is necessary to make management decisions for endangered and threatened species under severe uncertainty. Failure to acknowledge and treat uncertainty can lead to poor decisions. To illustrate the importance of considering uncertainty, we reanalyze a decision problem for the Sumatran rhino, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis , using information‐gap theory to propagate uncertainties and to rank management options. Rather than requiring information about the extent of parameter uncertainty at the outset, information‐gap theory addresses the question of how much uncertainty can be tolerated before our decision would change. It assesses the robustness of decisions in the face of severe uncertainty. We show that different management decisions may result when uncertainty in utilities and probabilities are considered in decision‐making problems. We highlight the importance of a full assessment of uncertainty in conservation management decisions to avoid, as much as possible, undesirable outcomes.