Ecological forecasting

Ecological forecasting means predicting what is going to happen in nature in the future. Just like how you might try to guess what your little brother or sister is going to do next or what your mom is going to make for dinner, scientists try to predict what plants, animals, and the weather will do in the coming years, months, and even days.

To do this, they study past events and how they affected nature. They use this information to make models, which are like pretend games, that help them predict what might happen in nature. Some things they might forecast include how climate change will affect the different types of plants and animals living together in a forest, or how a new predator in the ocean could change which fish we will see in our sushi restaurants.

With these predictions, scientists can help people prepare for any potential changes or problems in nature. They can work with governments to make laws to protect animals, or farmers to make sure they grow the right crops at the right time. In other words, ecological forecasting is a way for people to plan for the future of the environment and the many living things that rely on it.