Human activity increasingly dominates the global environment. Effective environmental management - to use, conserve, and maintain natural capital - is a major challenge worldwide. Managing the environment involves juggling a complex set of ecological, economic, and social objectives and priorities, which differ nationally, locally, and regionally. Internationally, there is a shift away from management on a sectoral basis toward a more holistic "Ecosystem Approach." This book defines and describes a systems approach to environmental management. It explains a framework for analysis of environmental problems as social/ecological systems using fascinating examples from around the globe. The book combines expertise from the fields of ecology, economics, and social sciences to provide an invaluable guide to the theory and practice of an ecosystem approach to management. It will be an invaluable source of information for lay-people, as well as for students of natural resource management and practitioners in the field.
