Type: report

Article abstract: The San Diego MSCP is an ambitious effort to manage economic development and conservation in an area renowned for its natural beauty and enviable quality of life. The fundamental goals of the MSCP are to 1) protect the large suite of covered species and 2) maintain the integrity and function of the ecosystems on which they depend. The plan intends to meet these difficult goals through adaptive management of the network of conserved lands. Monitoring on the conserved lands is necessary to understand the status and trend of an ecological system and provides the high-quality data needed for effective management. Unfortunately, ecological systems are difficult to monitor and manage because they are inherently complex and extremely variable across space and through time. Moreover, complex relationships among species and the natural and anthropogenic forces that drive them makes effective management extremely difficult.