Modelling biodiversity changes – does it help?

In a rapidly changing world, models are indispensable tools for the researchers and managers of biodiversity, particularly for predicting conservation outcomes under a range of alternative scenarios. 

But biodiversity modelling is still a relatively new field. Indeed, it is only 40 years since the term biodiversity was first coined to describe the variety of all living organisms on Earth, including their genetic diversity, species diversity and the diversity of marine, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.   

Unsurprisingly then, modellers of biodiversity face challenges such as not having quality, comprehensive data on species distribution, abundance, and interactions. There is also the issue of measuring the complexity of ecosystems, particularly as they are dynamic and the component parts range in scale from genes to the entire ecosystem. Sometimes biodiversity decision-making requires several types of models to be integrated. And then there is the final hurdle of translating outputs to actionable policies.  

Our speakers will demonstrate that despite these challenges, advancements in data collection methods, technology and communication with decision-makers are helping to improve the accuracy and usefulness of biodiversity models.