A Platform for Solving the Ecologist’s Dilemma; Setting Conservation Procedures

The ecologist’s dilemma is worldwide and straightforward; providing wildlife management recommendations, while constrained by scarce resources and limited data. We apply Object Oriented Bayesian Networks (OOBNs) to quantify complexities within their ecological context. We generate and utilize expert understanding of uncertainties. Key variables are identified and clustered within spatial, biological, and market domains. Specifically, (i) blue wildebeest male to black wildebeest male ratio, and (ii) spatial connectivity.

We put forth two OOBNs. Varying in their scope, each accurately represents the wicked problem concerning wildebeest hybridization and addresses different objectives faced by decision-makers. A detailed OOBN quantifies spillover implications, while a skeleton OOBN assesses associated risks. We equip ecologist with effective tools to resume informed decisions and maximize resources. Lastly, we offer a decision tree that promotes the usage of OOBNs as user friendly tools aimed at solving for the ecologist’s dilemma while addressing similar ecological and environmental uncertainties worldwide.

Keywords: Applied resources management; Ecologist’s dilemma; Hybridization; Object-oriented-bayesian-network; Policy making; Wicked problems; Wildebeest