ABSTRACT
Nature resource managers are charged with managing public and valued resources (e.g., air, water, soil, and plant and animal species) that are governed by a diverse set of policies and stakeholders. Making decisions to meet short- and long-term objectives is complicated by multiple uncertainties that are compounded with recurrent decisions (e.g., as with renewable natural resources). This chapter outlines the essential elements of making logical and transparent decisions in the face of common uncertainties. Further, monitoring is critical to decrease uncertainties and improve decision-making over time, which relies on a well-designed sampling strategy. This chapter also lays out a high-level overview of sampling strategies for monitoring natural resources.
