Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Natural resource management is often challenged with a mismatch between the scale of decision-making and the scale of the biological, ecological, and physical processes that control a system. Bioregional approaches to adaptive management have emerged as an approach to inform natural resource managem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.958684/full |
| _version_ | 1811204015287959552 |
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| author | Kelly G. Guilbeau Ann C. Hijuelos Stephanie S. Romañach Gregory D. Steyer |
| author_facet | Kelly G. Guilbeau Ann C. Hijuelos Stephanie S. Romañach Gregory D. Steyer |
| author_sort | Kelly G. Guilbeau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural resource management is often challenged with a mismatch between the scale of decision-making and the scale of the biological, ecological, and physical processes that control a system. Bioregional approaches to adaptive management have emerged as an approach to inform natural resource management at ecologically relevant scales and across multi-level governance structures. The implementation of adaptive management requires the determination of ecological and social priorities that can inform a desired system state across multiple governing bodies. We use the Northern Gulf of Mexico, United States, as a case study for a bioregional approach to adaptive management and illustrate a method for developing objectives and management priorities across programs and jurisdictions. Through this synthesis, using qualitative coding methods to develop a shared vocabulary across the diverse dataset, we identified commonalities and differences in ecological and human community priorities across the five states which line the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Using these shared priorities, we conceptualize a network of priority-focused objectives as a starting point for further stakeholder engagement and effectively monitoring and evaluating progress across boundaries. This approach serves as a framework for cross-program adaptive management by illustrating a desired system state that reflects the shared priorities among decision-making authorities in this region and offering individual programs or projects a method to articulate their contributions to the broader set of shared priorities Gulf-wide. This method can be used by restoration managers in any region of the world to align project objectives within cross-jurisdictional boundaries and illustrate the value of a bioregional approach to restoration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:05:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07fce2c830a3480c974b26ff3760d807 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:05:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-07fce2c830a3480c974b26ff3760d8072022-12-22T03:50:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2022-09-011010.3389/fevo.2022.958684958684Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of MexicoKelly G. Guilbeau0Ann C. Hijuelos1Stephanie S. Romañach2Gregory D. Steyer3Cherokee Nation System Solutions, Contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey, Lafayette, LA, United StatesU.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, New Orleans, LA, United StatesU.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United StatesU.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Region, Baton Rouge, LA, United StatesNatural resource management is often challenged with a mismatch between the scale of decision-making and the scale of the biological, ecological, and physical processes that control a system. Bioregional approaches to adaptive management have emerged as an approach to inform natural resource management at ecologically relevant scales and across multi-level governance structures. The implementation of adaptive management requires the determination of ecological and social priorities that can inform a desired system state across multiple governing bodies. We use the Northern Gulf of Mexico, United States, as a case study for a bioregional approach to adaptive management and illustrate a method for developing objectives and management priorities across programs and jurisdictions. Through this synthesis, using qualitative coding methods to develop a shared vocabulary across the diverse dataset, we identified commonalities and differences in ecological and human community priorities across the five states which line the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Using these shared priorities, we conceptualize a network of priority-focused objectives as a starting point for further stakeholder engagement and effectively monitoring and evaluating progress across boundaries. This approach serves as a framework for cross-program adaptive management by illustrating a desired system state that reflects the shared priorities among decision-making authorities in this region and offering individual programs or projects a method to articulate their contributions to the broader set of shared priorities Gulf-wide. This method can be used by restoration managers in any region of the world to align project objectives within cross-jurisdictional boundaries and illustrate the value of a bioregional approach to restoration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.958684/fulladaptive governanceadaptive managementdecision analysisecosystem restorationstakeholder engagementsocial-ecological priorities |
| spellingShingle | Kelly G. Guilbeau Ann C. Hijuelos Stephanie S. Romañach Gregory D. Steyer Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution adaptive governance adaptive management decision analysis ecosystem restoration stakeholder engagement social-ecological priorities |
| title | Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico |
| title_full | Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico |
| title_short | Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico |
| title_sort | identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the northern gulf of mexico |
| topic | adaptive governance adaptive management decision analysis ecosystem restoration stakeholder engagement social-ecological priorities |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.958684/full |
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