Real Life Management of Endangered Species

In October, Steve McKelvey shared a true story about how mathematical modeling helped the Forest Service come up with a plan for South Carolina’s Francis Marion National Forest. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo devastated the forest, which was home to both the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (an endangered species protected by federal law) and many people whose income depended on logging and recreational opportunities within the forest. The USDA Forest Service needed a plan to allow for the recovery of the woodpecker population while continuing to allow human forest residents the opportunity for a livelihood. Traditional science wasn’t an option in this situation, so mathematical modeling was the only alternative.

This event was co-sponsored by the Collegeville Institute, CSB/SJU Environmental Studies Department and the CSB/SJU Mathematics Department.