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SUMMARY:Methods in decision theory for conservation research - Will Prober
 t\, University of Queensland
DTSTART:20120327T090000Z
DTEND:20120327T100000Z
UID:TALK37112@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Microsoft Research Cambridge Talks Admins
DESCRIPTION:Biodiversity conservation suffers from limited resources\, irr
 eversible consequences of mismanagement (species extinction)\, and signifi
 cant uncertainty surrounding the environmental systems to be managed. Give
 n such difficulties I will summarise research from my PhD that illustrates
  why the structured decision making methods of operations research are use
 ful in aiding decision making for biodiversity conservation. \n\nFirstly\,
  I will present a taxonomy of management and learning techniques that high
 light the ability to incorporate learning into the decision making framewo
 rk by specifying the importance of learning about a system relative to act
 ual benefit in the managed system. The said taxonomy makes it clear that a
  decision policy will choose actions that favour learning in two circumsta
 nces: either via an objective that quantifies learning or via an algorithm
  with a management objective that acknowledges that future management bene
 fit can be obtained through improved knowledge. \n\nSecondly\, I will outl
 ine a species translocation problem: given a range of translocation sites\
 , each of a different unknown habitat quality\, where should captive-bred 
 populations be released to maximise the survival of such populations? This
  problem draws on methods from the medical clinical trials and 'bandit pro
 blem' literature for an optimal solution\, comparing this with rules of th
 umb.\n
LOCATION:Small lecture theatre\, Microsoft Research Ltd\, 7 J J Thomson Av
 enue (Off Madingley Road)\, Cambridge
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