Optimal Wildlife Research: An Introduction

Abstract

Managers of endangered wildlife can find themselves having to economise on the research they undertake. A simple theoretical model is generated to represent this strategic problem. The manager is risk averse and wishes to increase the population of a threatened or endangered species. The model shows that the decision to initiate research is driven by the potential gains, the costs of research and the manager's own attitudes to risk. These results appear straightforward. The results may also be readily violated in the wildlife policy arena. A number of violations of the results are proposed.