What is expert knowledge, how is such knowledge gathered, and how do we use it to address questions in landscape ecology?

Abstract

Expert knowledge plays an integral role in applied ecology and conservation (Burgman 2005). Environmental systems are characterized by complex dynamics, multiple drivers, and a paucity of data (Carpenter 2002). Action is often required before uncertainties can be resolved. Where empirical data are scarce or unavailable, expert knowledge is often regarded as the best or only source of information (Sutherland 2006; Kuhnert et al. 2010). Experts may be called upon to provide input for all stages of the modeling and management process, and specifically to inform the definition and structuring of the problem (Cowling and Pressey 2003; Sutherland et al. 2008), to inform the selection of data or va..