Environmental Modeling With Stakeholders ─ Theory, Methods, and Applications

The central aim and strength of this volume is to bring together, in a central text, chapters written by leading scholars working at the intersection of modeling, the natural and social sciences, and public participation. This book presents the current state of knowledge regarding the theory and practice of engaging stakeholders in environmental modeling which will include: (1) basic theoretical considerations; (2) an overview of methods and tools available; and (3) case study examples of these principles and methods in practice. There has been a significant increase in research and development regarding participatory modeling. However, a unifying text which provides an overview of the different methodologies available to scholars and a systematic review of case study applications, is largely unavailable. The authors seek to address a gap in the literature and provide a primer that addresses the growing demand to adopt, and apply, a range of modeling methods that include the public in environmental assessment and management. The book is divided into two main parts with relevant several subsections. The first part of the book covers basic considerations for including stakeholders in the modeling process and is comprised of two sections: (1) the importance of understanding differences in stakeholder perceptions of environmental/resource systems and (2) a brief introduction to the measurement of values, preferences, and beliefs intended for use in environmental decision-making. The second part of the book is devoted to specific methodologies and applications of those methods including: (1) Fuzzy-logic Cognitive Mapping, (2) Agent-based modeling, (3) Systems Dynamics modeling and (4) Integrated modeling approaches which rely on the combination of several methods. For each section in this second part of the book, a general overview of the method is provided, followed by new developments in these areas and case study examples of their employment.?

Steven Gray is an assistant professor of human ecology at the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His research focuses on developing decision-support software to help communities, resource managers, and other decision-makers to understand, and to adapt to, the social impacts of climate and other environmental changes. This research has been funded domestically by the National Science Foundation and by federal resource management agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the United States Geological Survey. Stefan Gray studied at undergraduate level with Victoria and Massey Universities in New Zealand, and the Open University in England, majoring in Environmental Sciences. Having won a first class honours degree in 2006, and been awarded a postgraduate study grant by the United Kingdom Crowther Fund in 2007, Stefan was accepted to Imperial College’s prestigious MSc programme in Sustainable Development and Natural Resource Management. Here, Stefan’s research encompassed sustainable silviculture and watershed management; surface, ground and conjunctive water resource management; chemical and biological techniques of ecological monitoring; and culminated in 2008 with thesis research into the sustainability of integrated coastal zone management under conditions of accelerated sea-level rise, for which Stefan was awarded a distinction. Stefan is currently conducting Ph.D. research into the development and utilisation of scenarios of climate change impact and adaptation response in coastal regions. Michael Paolisso is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at University of Maryland. Rebecca Jordan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University.