Adaptive Management
Training Reports Software Other
Forestry, particularly the expanding field of ecosystem management and restoration, is extremely dynamic and complex.
The ability to predict responses resulting from management decisions can be limited, especially when trying
operationally unproven treatments and practices. Within this environment, managers must make decisions every
day despite these uncertainties.
Adaptive Management is an approach that is helpful when forest or ecosystem responses to
management are uncertain. It employs effective monitoring and timely modifications to
treatments and practices where warranted to better meet management objectives.
In B.C., adaptive management has been defined as a systematic process for continually
improving management policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of
operational programs. Unlike more conventional approaches, adaptive management
incorporates learning objectives as well as timber and other resource objectives.
Plans and projects are deliberately designed as operational "experiments" to promote
learning and better decisions in future. Active adaptive management employs planning
that is designed to experimentally compare two or more alternative policies or
practices. These comparisons increase understanding of the costs and dynamics of
each, and aim to determine best practices.
Resource managers who incorporate adaptive management into their work demonstrate a
commitment to increase understanding and continually improve forest stewardship.
They can proceed responsibly with management in the face of uncertainty because they
are determined to resolve the uncertainty and improve future decisions.
This Website contains adaptive management training products developed by the Ministry
of Forests with funding from the Forest Renewal BC program. More information
on adaptive management principles, design, monitoring, and statistical methods,
is available from the Adaptive
Management Home Page and BC Government
Publications Index.
Keywords: adaptive management · decision analysis · monitoring ·
evaluation models · management experiments · operational trials ·
active · passive · Enhanced Forestry Program · EFP.
Reports
