Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components.
The multi-scalar complexity of social-ecological systems makes it challenging to quantify impacts from human activities on ecosystems, inspiring risk-based approaches to assessments of potential effects of human activities on valued ecosystem components. Risk assessments do not commonly include the...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0b2cf1ac284645739b6e99ac8f8a435e 2023-05-15T17:53:51+02:00 Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. Cathryn Clarke Murray Megan E Mach Rebecca G Martone Gerald G Singh Miriam O Kai M A Chan 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 https://doaj.org/article/0b2cf1ac284645739b6e99ac8f8a435e EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5024992?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 https://doaj.org/article/0b2cf1ac284645739b6e99ac8f8a435e PLoS ONE, Vol 11, Iss 9, p e0162932 (2016) Medicine R Science Q article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 2022-12-31T11:47:37Z The multi-scalar complexity of social-ecological systems makes it challenging to quantify impacts from human activities on ecosystems, inspiring risk-based approaches to assessments of potential effects of human activities on valued ecosystem components. Risk assessments do not commonly include the risk from indirect effects as mediated via habitat and prey. In this case study from British Columbia, Canada, we illustrate how such "indirect risks" can be incorporated into risk assessments for seventeen ecosystem components. We ask whether (i) the addition of indirect risk changes the at-risk ranking of the seventeen ecosystem components and if (ii) risk scores correlate with trophic prey and habitat linkages in the food web. Even with conservative assumptions about the transfer of impacts or risks from prey species and habitats, the addition of indirect risks in the cumulative risk score changes the ranking of priorities for management. In particular, resident orca, Steller sea lion, and Pacific herring all increase in relative risk, more closely aligning these species with their "at-risk status" designations. Risk assessments are not a replacement for impact assessments, but-by considering the potential for indirect risks as we demonstrate here-they offer a crucial complementary perspective for the management of ecosystems and the organisms within. Article in Journal/Newspaper Orca Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles British Columbia ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) Canada Pacific PLOS ONE 11 9 e0162932 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Cathryn Clarke Murray Megan E Mach Rebecca G Martone Gerald G Singh Miriam O Kai M A Chan Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
The multi-scalar complexity of social-ecological systems makes it challenging to quantify impacts from human activities on ecosystems, inspiring risk-based approaches to assessments of potential effects of human activities on valued ecosystem components. Risk assessments do not commonly include the risk from indirect effects as mediated via habitat and prey. In this case study from British Columbia, Canada, we illustrate how such "indirect risks" can be incorporated into risk assessments for seventeen ecosystem components. We ask whether (i) the addition of indirect risk changes the at-risk ranking of the seventeen ecosystem components and if (ii) risk scores correlate with trophic prey and habitat linkages in the food web. Even with conservative assumptions about the transfer of impacts or risks from prey species and habitats, the addition of indirect risks in the cumulative risk score changes the ranking of priorities for management. In particular, resident orca, Steller sea lion, and Pacific herring all increase in relative risk, more closely aligning these species with their "at-risk status" designations. Risk assessments are not a replacement for impact assessments, but-by considering the potential for indirect risks as we demonstrate here-they offer a crucial complementary perspective for the management of ecosystems and the organisms within. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cathryn Clarke Murray Megan E Mach Rebecca G Martone Gerald G Singh Miriam O Kai M A Chan |
author_facet |
Cathryn Clarke Murray Megan E Mach Rebecca G Martone Gerald G Singh Miriam O Kai M A Chan |
author_sort |
Cathryn Clarke Murray |
title |
Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
title_short |
Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
title_full |
Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
title_fullStr |
Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Supporting Risk Assessment: Accounting for Indirect Risk to Ecosystem Components. |
title_sort |
supporting risk assessment: accounting for indirect risk to ecosystem components. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 https://doaj.org/article/0b2cf1ac284645739b6e99ac8f8a435e |
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ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) |
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British Columbia Canada Pacific |
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British Columbia Canada Pacific |
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Orca |
genre_facet |
Orca |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 11, Iss 9, p e0162932 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5024992?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 https://doaj.org/article/0b2cf1ac284645739b6e99ac8f8a435e |
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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162932 |
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PLOS ONE |
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11 |
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9 |
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