Improvement of environmental impact analysis by application of principles derived from manipulative ecology: Lessons from coastal marine case histories

摘要: I discuss briefly how the basic science of ecology contributed to resolution environmental problems in eight different cases which have been involved over past few years. then draw from 2 decades experience as an academic marine ecologist and biological oceanographer extract general lessons each case on applications could be improved by better use wisdom field ecology. The respresent four pairs contrasts covering a spectrum ecological problems: (i) two assessments impacts coastal ocean discharges, one evaluated data collected under traditionally designed, self-monitoring programmes largely mandated agency granting discharge permit other employing academically designed programme explicit impact testing; (ii) effects offshore oil gas development, done before exploration drilling assess adequacy available information base decisions about permits analysis natural resource damages after spill had occurred; (iii) evaluations conducted special ad hoc panels created resolve disputes; (iv) examples rule-making commissions employed insights establishment regulations, preserve quality manage fishery resources. From these cases, derive 38 for future improvement problem solving sciences. These fall into categories: improvements study design analysis; recognition importance multi-species, multi-factor (‘ecosystem’) context populations are nested; acknowledgement social concerns constrain decisions; identification common fallacies assessment.