Optimal actions (a*) and cumulative values (V) over 2000 time steps for managing habitat for Florida scrub-jays under annual and biennial monitoring schemes.

The Expected Value of Sample Information (EVSI) is the difference in expected performance between the two monitoring schemes. Scrub states xt are: (1) short-open; (2) short-closed; (3) optimal-open; (4) optimal-closed; and (5) tall-mix. Model state qt is the probability of the null model, which posits that an intensive burn is no more effective at restoring optimal height scrub than a routine burn. Optimal actions a* are: (1) do nothing; (2) routine burn; and (3) intensive burn. Sometimes the biennual-monitoring policy has actions that differ from those for the annual-monitoring policy because in the t+1 years monitoring information is unavailable in the former policy and actions have to be conditioned on the system state, model state, and action for the previous year t.