Forecasting ecological dynamics in a changing world, a critical discussion

Discussion meeting organised by Dr Emily G Simmonds, Dr Marlène Gamelon, Professor Tim Coulson and Professor Bernt‑Erik Sæther
 
Ecosystems are complicated, containing thousands of interacting species, each also impacted by external forces like the climate. Ecologists’ record of predicting their dynamics is poor, yet many argue that effective management and conservation of biodiversity require accurate prediction. Should we call time on the aim of accurately forecasting living systems, or can novel approaches, including machine learning, save the day?