Dynamic conceptual modelling for building consensus in natural resource systems understanding

Decision making in natural resource management requires that all stakeholders share a consistent and clear understanding of the system in question. Whilst this requirement seems logical enough, gaining consensus across scientists, resource managers from multiple levels of governance and landowners represents one of the greatest challenges in participatory modelling. One approach that has been widely used to try and achieve a common understanding of complex systems is the use of the conceptual diagram or model. These conceptual models provide a visual display of system understanding for varying purposes, including the communication and cohesion of ideas. Whilst models and diagrams represent an excellent way of illustrating all of the important components in a system, traditional conceptual models lack the capacity to demonstrate the relative importance or form of interactions between model components, or the relative strength (and certainty) of understanding of some system processes over others. ‘Concept’ is a conceptual modelling tool designed to visually display dynamic cause and effect relationships in complex systems. It relies on basic functional relationships to quantify the links between the important elements in a system and semi-quantitative methods to specify the condition of those elements. It can also incorporate uncertainty in relationships between elements, therein pointing stakeholders to areas where system knowledge is lacking. Taken together, the dynamic features of Concept can be used to communicate and refine a conceptual understanding of the system in question, both statically and in response to user-defined changes/management actions.