Why is Predictive Ecology Important?
In my lab we investigate the cumulative effects of multiple stressors on the adaptive decisions of wildlife. We use this information to explore spatial and demographic patterns under future scenarios, using a combination of field and modelling approaches. To strengthen the predictive framework, we ensure the scenarios are guided by social and/or spatial systems. This foundation allows us to evaluate how impacts can ultimately affect the persistence of wildlife populations.
The world is experiencing significant anthropogenically induced environmental change, and so we need to be able to forecast impacts on the biological world. One way is to assess how wildlife will behave in future, changed, conditions. Models based on behavioural processes are a powerful approach for a wide variety of applied problems in predictive ecology since they can lead to unexpected but critical findings for management.
The ultimate goal of the Semeniuk lab is to search for optimal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts.
