Uncertainty

Uncertainty is a lack of knowledge which makes it impossible to predict either the current state or possible outcomes of a decision or action. The logical decision when faced with uncertainty is to use the [|precautionary principle], which states that if a action may cause severe or irreversible harm there is a moral responsibility to refrain from carrying out that action.

In the relation to Banff national park the control of wildfires comes to mind when discussing uncertainty. For centuries they have extinguished the wildfires in an attempt to limit the destruction of the park, being uncertain of how this effects the natural balance of the ecosystem. Having done this for decades they are beginning to believe this could have caused some significant imbalances in the park. In turn, parks Canada has been carrying out prescribed burnings in an attempt to re-create the natural fires that occur in the area. Parks Canada cannot be certain this fire will mimic exactly how natural fire patterns are carried out, and may not provide the results they are hoping for.

Another issue in banff national park, is the introduction of non-native species to the area out competing the native species, particularly with fish stocking. In the early 1900's many species of fish were introduced into the bow valley watershed to appease the early fisherman appetite. The introduced fish are out competing the native species in the area and declining their abundance in the area, more specifically the bull trout and west slope cutthroat trout. In addition, the Banff longnose dace, which was found no where else in the world but Banff National Park, is listed as extinct by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. These are both examples of how the uncertainty associated with fixing one problem creates an entirely different one. Human intervention always spawns uncertainty, it is human nature to just act as opposed to thinking the process completely through.

Uncertainty in relation to Biodiversity of the park can be summed up in one analogy. Species in a ecosystem are like rivets on the wing of a plane, one can remove some rivets without the wing coming apart. If one too many rivets are removed then the wing will come apart. In relation to Banff national park, if too many species in the system are destroyed due to human intervention, then perhaps, in the distant future there will not be a park to enjoy due the uncertainty of destroying biodiversity in the ecosystem.