AI exposure: Conservation Scientists
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering.
Reading this score
computed33.5% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Conservation Scientists at the 58th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.4 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 30 tasks it averages 2.08 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Compile or interpret biodata to determine extent or type of wetlands or to aid in program..., at 73.3%. The least is Conduct fact-finding or mediation sessions among government units, landowners, or other..., at 6.7%. A gap of 66.7% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within life, physical and social science occupations, this one is less exposed than the median of 36.3% across the group's 60 roles, with 36 scoring higher. Being in an exposed family does not make a particular job exposed, and the reverse holds too.
What would move this score. Of 30 tasks, 20 are currently banded exposed, 5 assisted and 5 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take cheaper ways to verify output, since the cost of checking is currently doing more to hold this work in place than the cost of producing it. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
30 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compile or interpret biodata to determine extent or type of wetlands or to aid in program formulation. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.80 | exposed |
| Compute cost estimates of different conservation practices, based on needs of land users, maintenance requirements, or life expectancy of practices. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 4.05 | exposed |
| Develop, conduct, or participate in surveys, studies, or investigations of various land uses to inform corrective action plans. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.88 | exposed |
| Develop soil maps. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Develop or conduct environmental studies, such as plant material field trials or wildlife habitat impact studies. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.35 | exposed |
| Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.19 | exposed |
| Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.15 | exposed |
| Enter local soil, water, or other environmental data into adaptive or Web-based decision tools to identify appropriate analyses or techniques. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.94 | exposed |
| Analyze results of investigations to determine measures needed to maintain or restore proper soil management. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.90 | exposed |
| Review or approve amendments to comprehensive local water plans or conservation district plans. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.76 | exposed |
| Review proposed wetland restoration easements or provide technical recommendations. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.75 | exposed |
| Identify or recommend integrated weed and pest management (IPM) strategies, such as resistant plants, cultural or behavioral controls, soil amendments, insects, natural enemies, barriers, or pesticides. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.44 | exposed |
| Review annual reports of counties, conservation districts, or watershed management organizations, certifying compliance with mandated reporting requirements. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.44 | exposed |
| Review grant applications or make funding recommendations. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.41 | exposed |
| Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 4.48 | exposed |
| Respond to complaints or questions on wetland jurisdiction, providing information or clarification. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 3.81 | exposed |
| Initiate, schedule, or conduct annual audits or compliance checks of program implementation by local government. | 35.0% | 40.0% | 25.0% | 3.47 | assisted |
| Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.42 | exposed |
| Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.19 | exposed |
| Participate on work teams to plan, develop, or implement programs or policies for improving environmental habitats, wetlands, or groundwater or soil resources. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.09 | exposed |
| Develop water conservation or harvest plans, using weather information systems, irrigation information management systems, or other sources of daily evapotranspiration (ET) data. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.73 | exposed |
| Provide information, knowledge, expertise, or training to government agencies at all levels to solve water or soil management problems or to assure coordination of resource protection activities. | 25.0% | 25.0% | 50.0% | 3.95 | assisted |
| Coordinate or implement technical, financial, or administrative assistance programs for local government units to ensure efficient program implementation or timely responses to requests for assistance. | 20.0% | 30.0% | 50.0% | 3.82 | assisted |
| Manage field offices or involve staff in cooperative ventures. | 20.0% | 30.0% | 50.0% | 3.67 | assisted |
| Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications. | 16.7% | 33.3% | 50.0% | 4.30 | assisted |
| Develop or maintain working relationships with local government staff or board members. | 11.7% | 13.3% | 75.0% | 4.00 | untouched |
| Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 4.09 | untouched |
| Revisit land users to view implemented land use practices or plans. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 4.00 | untouched |
| Visit areas affected by erosion problems to identify causes or determine solutions. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 3.95 | untouched |
| Conduct fact-finding or mediation sessions among government units, landowners, or other agencies to resolve disputes. | 6.7% | 18.3% | 75.0% | 3.28 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 2.43 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.83 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.82 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 1.40 | 0-3 |
| Context | 2.08 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.92 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.