Multidimensional evaluation of managed relocation.
Managed relocation (MR) has rapidly emerged as a potential intervention strategy in the toolbox of biodiversity management under climate change. Previous authors have suggested that MR (also referred to as assisted colonization, assisted migration, or assisted translocation) could be a last-alternative option after interrogating a linear decision tree. We argue that numerous interacting and value-laden considerations demand a more inclusive strategy for evaluating MR. The pace of modern climate change demands decision making with imperfect information, and tools that elucidate this uncertainty and integrate scientific information and social values are urgently needed. We present a heuristic tool that incorporates both ecological and social criteria in a multidimensional decision-making framework. For visualization purposes, we collapse these criteria into 4 classes that can be depicted in graphical 2-D space. This framework offers a pragmatic approach for summarizing key dimensions of MR: capturing uncertainty in the evaluation criteria, creating transparency in the evaluation process, and recognizing the inherent tradeoffs that different stakeholders bring to evaluation of MR and its alternatives.
Richardson
David M
DM
Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa. rich@sun.ac.za
Hellmann
Jessica J
JJ
McLachlan
Jason S
JS
Sax
Dov F
DF
Schwartz
Mark W
MW
Gonzalez
Patrick
P
Brennan
E Jean
EJ
Camacho
Alejandro
A
Root
Terry L
TL
Sala
Osvaldo E
OE
Schneider
Stephen H
SH
Ashe
Daniel M
DM
Clark
Jamie Rappaport
JR
Early
Regan
R
Etterson
Julie R
JR
Fielder
E Dwight
ED
Gill
Jacquelyn L
JL
Minteer
Ben A
BA
Polasky
Stephen
S
Safford
Hugh D
HD
Thompson
Andrew R
AR
Vellend
Mark
M
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D035501:Uncertainty