Ecological Forecasting Initiative: An Opportunity for Predictive Science
Environmental science has a long history of success providing guidance to societal decisions about the future state of populations, communities, and ecosystems: What is the risk of a flu epidemic? What will be the likely consequence of this decision about forest management for wildfires? How much fertilizer can I apply to my farm without damaging water quality? In the past, the connections between data availability, scientific research, and decision making has generally been informal and sometimes ad hoc. The Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) is a new grassroots organization whose goal is to improve ecological forecasts by applying novel analytical tools that integrate data, models, and decisions. I will demonstrate the advantages of the forecast cycle and discuss opportunities in EFI for education and research
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Originally published at environmentalchange.nd.edu.