Description

“The ability to alter management to reflect lessons learned or changing conditions. It incorporates deliberate learning into professional practice to reduce uncertainty in decision-making. Specifically, it is the integration of design, management and monitoring to enable managers to systematically and efficiently test key assumptions, evaluate the results, adjust management decisions and generate learning”. ¹

Species, ecosystems and natural processes are dynamic. They respond differently to changes in environmental conditions and human impacts. Conservation and management strategies should therefore be flexible and evidence-based. By systematically testing assumptions and adjusting management practices based on observed outcomes, adaptive management helps mitigate risks of ecosystem degradation, improve species recovery efforts and address the uncertainties inherent in managing complex ecological systems. This iterative approach fosters resilience in conservation and management. It also ensures that interventions remain effective as conditions evolve.

Salafsky et al. (2024) ¹