DeerKBS: a knowledge-based system for white-tailed deer management

Recognizing that wildlife managers are facing many challenges (e.g. increased numbers and involvement of stakeholders) and decisions must be made on conflicting expectations and limited data, we developed a knowledge-based system for white-tailed deer management (DeerKBS) to assist wildlife managers in making informed decisions. This system employed wildlife managers’ expertise and knowledge, and standardized decision-making procedures for management. A ‘top down’ technique was used to divide the task of deer management decision-making process into four subtasks: (1) deer population evaluation, (2) deer habitat evaluation, (3) social carrying capacity evaluation, and (4) environmental evaluation. Each subtask was represented by a decision tree, developed and tested separately. The ‘top-down’ technique offers the flexibility to include more information when available. DeerKBS is an effective communication tool for presenting the decision-making process to stakeholders, and an educational tool to help users understand the complexity of the management decision-making process.