Session E8: Before We Rush into the Field

Abstract: The aim of this talk is to explain and demonstrate that a \u27virtual ecology\u27 approach (i.e. using a model to generate an ecological reality rather than field observations) can be very useful to evaluate an ecological monitoring plan. Three aspects are highlighted. First, the principal steps involved in a virtual ecology approach to monitoring are laid out, using examples on fish passage monitoring. Secondly, it is argued how theoretical model specification as well as its implementation (both necessary to start a virtual ecology analysis) are merits rather than weaknesses of the approach, which help to understand and interpret subsequent field observations. And thirdly, it is shown that implementing a virtual ecology analysis to evaluate fish passage monitoring is not computationally intensive nor theoretically demanding. Hence, it can be done with rather modest means and involve e.g. field ecologists as well as decision makers to specify system properties and constraints. Presenting Author Bio (short paragraph only - no bulleting or other special characters): I am interested in developing and applying statistical methods that help to understand and analyse ecological systems. Currently I am focusing on the analysis of animal tracking data as well as the reconstruction of population dynamics based on observations of non-marked individuals