title: Ecological-economic modeling for biodiversity management: potential, pitfalls, and prospects.
abstract: Ecologists and economists both use models to help develop strategies for biodiversity management. The practical use of disciplinary models, however can be limited because ecological models tend not to address the socioeconomic dimension of biodiversity management, whereas economic models tend to neglect the ecological dimension. Given these shortcomings of disciplinary models, there is a necessity to combine ecological and economic knowledge into ecological-economic models. It is insufficient if scientists work separately in their own disciplines and combine their knowledge only when it comes to formulating management recommendations. Such an approach does not capture feedback loops between the ecological and the socioeconomic systems. Furthermore, each discipline poses the management problem in its own way and comes up with its own most appropriate solution. These disciplinary solutions, however, are likely to be so different that a combined solution considering aspects of both disciplines cannot be found. Preconditions for a successful model-based integration of ecology and economics include (1) an in-depth knowledge of the two disciplines, (2) the adequate identification and framing of the problem to be investigated, and (3) a common understanding between economists and ecologists of modeling and scale. To further advance ecological-economic modeling the development of common benchmarks, quality controls, and refereeing standards for ecological-economic models is desirable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research, Permoser Strasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany. frank.waetzold@ufz.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wätzold
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drechsler
authors.forename: Claire W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baumgärtner
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huth
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perrings
authors.forename: Hugh P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Possingham
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shogren
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skonhoft
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verboom-Vasiljev
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wissel
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D018803:Models, Economic