Environmental Modeling with Stakeholders

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.