Bad AM paper

Although a moderately good modelling paper, "Assessing different management scenarios to reverse the declining trend of a relict capercaillie population: A modelling approach within an adaptive management framework" by Mariana Fernandez-Ollala and coauthors (Biological Conservation 148:79-86) is typical of the vast majority of papers that turn up in a search for the term Adaptive Management. In Jamie's hierarchy of success this paper would merit a "suggests" - making an effort to say AM would be useful in a specific context. However, she wouldn't have been able to categorize the school of thought, because the paper cites none of the central AM literature in any school. Period. Not one paper. Clearly AM has gone the way of sustainability - a useful weasel word with little or no meaning.

Nonetheless, it is a good example of using a population model to evaluate management options for an endangered species. I'll be using it in my population dynamics class next spring.