W(h)ither the Oracle? Cognitive Biases and Other Human Challenges of Integrated Environmental Modeling

Integrated environmental modeling can organize and increase our knowledge of complex dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control the quality of our environments. However, human behavior must be taken into account. Human biases, heuristics, and the virtual situations that affect our survival and provide sharply distinguished alternatives must reflect adaptive responses over our evolutionary past to frequently experienced situations that affected our survival and provided sharply distinguished alternatives. This paper discusses cognitive biases that influence decision-making in the context of integrated environmental modeling, and it explores how these biases can affect the accuracy and effectiveness of models used in environmental management. By acknowledging the human factors that impact these models, this work aims to enhance our understanding of the potential pitfalls and challenges that practitioners face when utilizing integrated environmental models. The insights gained from this analysis are intended to inform better practices in modeling approaches and promote more effective management strategies in environmental sciences.