The scientific method in Environmental Impact Studies

The original scientific journals published short letters (Letters) for researchers to report the results of studies. The Journal of Brief Ideas offers this space, up to 200 words, to present ideas and take advantage of intellectual capital that is often lost due to lack of time or money to develop it as a research article (Research Article). In addition, it is also an opportunity to promote debate and for other authors to criticize the idea.

This note is about Environmental Impact Studies (Both). In general, ESIAs are poor, with no power to predict the effects of a project on animal populations. The obvious, the obvious risk, the nest of a large bird of prey or the lek of an agrosteppe bird are detected in the implantation plot, but no long-term or synergistic effects. A project is a disturbance and a disturbance always opens up an experimental scenario. Wildlife consultants should apply the scientific method to evaluate the impact of projects on animal populations.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Wildlife: from a descriptive to an experimental approach

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) aim to identify, quantify and mitigate or compensate for the impacts and cumulative effects of projects, such as transport infrastructures and power plants, on ecosystems. Therefore, consultants should provide evidence on wildlife for decision-making (i.e. to approve, modify or reject the project). Moreover, consultants should monitor wildlife populations to adapt the mitigation measures over time because of long response times (e.g. extinction debt) and because the impacts may change (i.e. adaptive management). However, consultants often only inventory the local biodiversity but do not predict the impacts of projects on wildlife. Any project is a disturbance, and any disturbance opens up an experimental scenario. Therefore, consultants should apply experimental approaches for assessing the impacts of projects on wildlife populations at the landscape scale. For instance, Noguera et al. (2010) created an index to estimate the raptor collision risk in wind farms, and Torres et al. (2011) applied a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) study design to assess the impact of a motorway on a Otis Late population. In conclusion, project developers should provide funding and time for consultants to work as researchers: environmental impact reports should be treated as research articles. If not, the competent authority should apply the precautionary principle.

The biologists at Ideas MedioAmbiental take advantage of scientific knowledge to design environmental impact studies.

Salgado I (2022) Environmental Impact Assessment and wildlife: from a descriptive to an experimental approach. The Journal of Brief Ideas https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6644355

http://beta.briefideas.org/ideas/9276c6cd719fb5d362b2111976ac6786