Resource allocation in two species systems: Is it worth acknowledging species interactions?

William J.M. Probert, Martin Drechsler (), Peter W.J. Baxter and Hugh P. Possingham

Ecological Modelling, 2011, vol. 222, issue 10, 1781-1789

Abstract: It is becoming increasingly popular to consider species interactions when managing ecological foodwebs. Such an approach is useful in determining how management can affect multiple species, with either beneficial or detrimental consequences. Identifying such actions is particularly valuable in the context of conservation decision making as funding is severely limited. This paper outlines a new approach that simplifies the resource allocation problem in a two species system for a range of species interactions: independent, mutualism, predator–prey, and competitive exclusion. We assume that both species are endangered and we do not account for decisions over time. We find that optimal funding allocation is to the conservation of the species with the highest marginal gain in expected probability of survival and that, across all except mutualist interaction types, optimal conservation funding allocation differs between species. Loss in efficiency from ignoring species interactions was most severe in predator–prey systems. The funding problem we address, where an ecosystem includes multiple threatened species, will only become more commonplace as increasing numbers of species worldwide become threatened.

Keywords: Species interactions; Funding allocation; Conservation funding; Predator–prey; Mutualism; Competitive exclusion; Networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:222:y:2011:i:10:p:1781-1789

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.02.026

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