Ecosphere Publishes Study:
Modelling tools can effectively assess wild cheetah populations even in the face of uncertainty
Graphic: From the paper, Figure 6.2, depicting the interface nodes for the three subnetworks that comprise the
object oriented Bayesian Network used in the study. The chart graphically depicts how different types of data
from different disciplines are used together in the study.
object oriented Bayesian Network used in the study. The chart graphically depicts how different types of data
from different disciplines are used together in the study.
August 15, 2013 (OTJIWARONGO, Namibia) – Ecosphere, a journal of the Ecological Society of America, has published“Modeling the viability of the free-ranging cheetah population in Namibia: an object-oriented Bayesian network approach,”a study that evaluates the utility of object-oriented Bayesian networks as a tool for assessing cheetah populations. The study utilized information from Cheetah Conservation Fund’s experts and sophisticated BGraphic: From the paper, Figure 6.2, depicting the interface nodes for the three subnetworks that comprise the object oriented Bayesian Network used in the study. The chart graphically depicts how different types of data from different disciplines are used together in the study.ayesian models to show how the applied modelling technique could integrate information from varied sources and varying probabilities to produce a coherent model to assess the viability of the cheetah population in Namibia.
Assessing a threatened population such as the cheetah requires the synthesis of data from several areas, including ecological data, biological data and population management data. The information available to conservationists is often varying in quantity and quality, and in some cases, non-existent. The Bayesian modelling techniques employed in the study allow conservationists to use diverse datasets of varying quality, and still confidently make decisions. Bayesian networks can successfully integrate all the available data from varying sources, and the model and parameters can be refined as new research or information is acquired.
“What’s exciting about this study is that it gives us a new tool to help us understand, design and evaluate conservation programming,” says Dr. Laurie Marker, one of the authors of the study and the Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “When a species is threatened, time is running out, and tools that allow you to make solid decisions about how to save that species even in the face of uncertainty are critical to win the race against extinction.”
The study was authored by Sandra Johnson, Laurie Marker, Kerrie Mengersen, Chris H. Gordon, RG Melzheimer, Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, Matti Nghikembua, Ezequiel Fabiano, Josephine Henghali, and Bettina Watcher. Laurie Marker is the Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund. Anne Schmidt-Küntzel is CCF’s Research Geneticist and Assistant Director for Animal Health and Research, Matti Nghikembua is CCF’s Senior Ecologist and Education Officer, and Ezequiel Fabiano is CCF’s Senior Research Assistant. A full copy of the study is available online here: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/ES12-00357.1
Assessing a threatened population such as the cheetah requires the synthesis of data from several areas, including ecological data, biological data and population management data. The information available to conservationists is often varying in quantity and quality, and in some cases, non-existent. The Bayesian modelling techniques employed in the study allow conservationists to use diverse datasets of varying quality, and still confidently make decisions. Bayesian networks can successfully integrate all the available data from varying sources, and the model and parameters can be refined as new research or information is acquired.
“What’s exciting about this study is that it gives us a new tool to help us understand, design and evaluate conservation programming,” says Dr. Laurie Marker, one of the authors of the study and the Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “When a species is threatened, time is running out, and tools that allow you to make solid decisions about how to save that species even in the face of uncertainty are critical to win the race against extinction.”
The study was authored by Sandra Johnson, Laurie Marker, Kerrie Mengersen, Chris H. Gordon, RG Melzheimer, Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, Matti Nghikembua, Ezequiel Fabiano, Josephine Henghali, and Bettina Watcher. Laurie Marker is the Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund. Anne Schmidt-Küntzel is CCF’s Research Geneticist and Assistant Director for Animal Health and Research, Matti Nghikembua is CCF’s Senior Ecologist and Education Officer, and Ezequiel Fabiano is CCF’s Senior Research Assistant. A full copy of the study is available online here: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/ES12-00357.1