Ecology and the integrated assessment process
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (United States)
Integrated assessment is a process in which technical, social, environmental, and economic consequences of alternative decision scenarios are evaluated. It requires evaluation and accomodation of multiple, sometimes opposing or conflicting, points of view or models of the way things work. The goal is not the development or imposition of a single unified or integrated world model, no matter how comprehensive or sophisticated, but rather the building of a consensus among stakeholders about the direction, magnitude, and uncertainties of the societal and ecological effects of alternative decisions. The process involves clarifying the policy options available or the range of decisions that are possible, and then using observations, understanding, and projections to compare alternative scenarios or outcomes of the policies or decisions. We have developed a conceptual framework for assessment that acknowledges the wide range of uncertainty in the ecological effects of regional and global perturbation such as acidic deposition or climate change and that accomodates the multiple independent approaches that are needed to increase confidence in conclusions drawn from either sophisticated or back-of-the-envelope projections. This presentation shows how ecological findings and uncertainties were used in integrated assessment of acidic deposition and how ecologists might contribute to integrated assessment of global change.
- OSTI ID:
- 7269586
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940894--
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Vol. 75:2; ISSN BECLAG; ISSN 0012-9623
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
DECISION MAKING
ECOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
RAIN
RISK ASSESSMENT