Ecosystem Management Research Institute

Description

Ecosystem management is a widely used term, but has been defined in many different ways. To most, it is a term that has some conceptual meaning, but that has little practical application for day-to-day natural resource management. However, natural resource managers are increasingly expected to address the conservation of biodiversity while addressing society's demands for commodities, recreation, and wild lands, with the realization that this must consider multidisciplinary decisions across large, mixed-ownership landscapes. This is the task that ecosystem management is designed to address. Ecosystem management can be defined in practical terms as the integration of ecological, social, and economic objectives for natural resource planning and management. The key to this definition lies in further defining the objectives that are being integrated. The ecological objectives of ecosystem management should address the maintenance and enhancement of biological diversity and ecosystem integrity. Biological diversity is the variety of life and life processes, and includes the levels of landscape, community, species, and genetics. Ecosystem integrity is a related term operating at the community and landscape levels and specifically addresses the ecological processes that are essential for ecosystems to function in a defined and predictable manner. The focus of ecosystem management on integration of these ecological objectives with the optimal attainment of social and economic...

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