A general approach to predicting ecological responses to environmental flows: Making best use of the literature, expert knowledge, and monitoring data

Abstract

Around the world, governments are making huge investments in environmental flows. However, much of the rationale for these releases is based on expert opinion and is thus open to challenge. Empirical studies that relate ecological responses to flow restoration are mostly case studies of limited generality. Radically, different approaches are required to inform the development of general models that will allow us to predict the effects of environmental flows. Here, we describe the modelling framework being used in a major study of environmental flows in the Australian state of Victoria. The framework attempts to make best use of all the information available from the literature, experts, and ..