Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You change your report to appease the developers and your boss.
You submit to the pressure and change the report. It will be less critical of the development project. You sit with the developers during the press conference and introduce your work to the media and the public. The report quiets the public's outrage, and the developers triumph. They're given the green light to continue with the project.
The development of Burns Bog begins as scheduled. The wetlands are drained and filled in. The bushes and trees are cleared. The animal habitat is destroyed. It is two years before the development is finished.
Before the new residents have even moved into the development, it's clear that Burns Bog is damaged beyond repair. The animals have disappeared and the runoff from the development has polluted all the water in the bog. The development has become an environmental disaster.
Public outrage over the poisoning of this habitat has put a hold on future development in the Burns Bog area, but the damage has already been done. You could have stopped it by refusing to change your report. Your reputation is ruined.
Biogeographers must have good decision-making skills. "I mean, you are always making decisions," says Michael Pidwirny. He is the chair of a geography department. "You are making decisions to study something a certain way, or to use some sort of statistical test."
Biogeographers also have a great deal of say in land planning decisions if they work in consulting or in government, for instance. "Their decisions are going to be important," says Pidwirny.