The evolving concept of ecosystem management k tie focus of much current debate To clartfi discussion and provide a framework for implementation, I trace the histor- ical development of ecosystem management, provide a working definition, and summarize dominant themes taken mm an t&ensive literature revieut. The general goal of maintaining ecological integrity is discussed along with five specific goals.- maintaining viable popu!z!ions, ecosystem representation, maintaining ecological process (i e., natural disturbance regimes), protecting evolutionary potential of species and ecosystems, and accommodating human use in light of the above short-term policy implications of ecosys- tem management for several groups of key actors (scientists, poliqnaker& managers, citixer&s) are discussed Long-term (>I00 years) poliq implications are also reviewed inch&

What Is Ecosystem Management

Flagships, umbrellas, and keystones: Is single-species management passé in the landscape era?

Ecosystem management is management driven by explicit goals, executed by policies, protocols, and practices, and made adaptable by monitoring and research based on our best understanding of the ecological interactions and processes necessary to sustain ecosystem composition, structure, and function. In recent years, sustainability has become an explicitly stated, even legislatively mandated, goal of natural resource management agencies. In practice, however, management approaches have often focused on maximizing short-term yield and economic gain rather than long-term sustainability. Several obstacles contribute to this disparity, including: (1) inadequate information on the biological diversity of environments; (2) widespread ignorance of the function and dynamics of ecosystems; (3) the openness and interconnectedness of ecosystems on scales that transcend management boundaries; (4) a prevailing public perception that the immediate economic and social value of supposedly renewable resources outweighs the risk of future ecosystem damage or the benefits of alternative management approaches. The goal of ecosystem management is to overcome these obstacles. Ecosystem management includes the following elements: (1) Sustainability. Ecosystem management does not focus primarily on deliverables" but rather regards intergenerational sustainability as a precondition. (2) Goals. Ecosystem management establishes measurable goals that specify future processes and outcomes necessary for sustainability. (3) Sound ecological models and understanding. Ecosystem management relies on research performed at all levels of ecological organization. (4) Complexity and connectedness. Ecosystem management recognizes that biological diversity and structural complexity strengthen ecosystems against disturbance and supply the genetic resources necessary to adapt to long-term change. (5) The dynamic character of ecosystems. Recognizing that change and evolution are inherent in ecosystem sustainability, ecosystem management avoids attempts to freeze" ecosystems in a particular state or configuration. (6) Context and scale. Ecosystem processes operate over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, and their behavior at any given location is greatly affected by surrounding systems. Thus, there is no single appropriate scale or time frame for management. (7) Humans as ecosystem components. Ecosystem management values the active role of humans in achieving sustainable management goals. (8) Adaptability and accountability. Ecosystem management acknowledges that current knowledge and paradigms of ecosystem function are provisional, incomplete, and subject to change. Management approaches must be viewed as hypotheses to be tested by research and monitoring programs. The following are fundamental scientific precepts for ecosystem management. (1) Spatial and temporal scale are critical. Ecosystem function includes inputs, outputs, cycling of materials and energy, and the interactions of organisms. Boundaries defined for the study or management of one process are often inappropriate for the study of others; thus, ecosystem management requires a broad view. (2) Ecosystem function depends on its structure, diversity, and integrity. Ecosystem management seeks to maintain biological diversity as a critical component in strengthening ecosystems against disturbance. Thus, management of biological diversity requires a broad perspective and recognition that the complexity and function of any particular location is influenced heavily by the surrounding system. (3) Ecosystems are dynamic in space and time. Ecosystem management is challenging in part because ecosystems are constantly changing. Over time scales of decades or centuries, many landscapes are altered by natural disturbances that lead to mosaics of successional patches of different ages. Such patch dynamics are critical to ecosystem structure and function. (4) Uncertainty, surprise, and limits to knowledge. Ecosystem management acknowledges that, given sufficient time and space, unlikely events are certain to occur. Adaptive management addresses this uncertainty by combining democratic principles, scientific analysis, education, and institutional learning to increase our understanding of ecosystem processes and the consequences of management interventions, and to improve the quality of data upon which decisions must be made. Ecosystem management requires application of ecological science to natural resource actions. Moving from concepts to practice is a daunting challenge and will require the following steps and actions. (1) Defining sustainable goals and objectives. Sustainable strategies for the provision of ecosystem goods and services cannot take as their starting points statements of need or want such as mandated timber supply, water demand, or arbitrarily set harvests of shrimp or fish. Rather, sustainability must be the primary objective, and levels of commodity and amenity provision must be adjusted to meet that goal. (2) Reconciling spatial scales. Implementation of ecosystem management would be greatly simplified if management jurisdictions were spatially congruent with the behavior of ecosystem processes. Given the variation in spatial domain among processes, one perfect fit for all processes is virtually impossible; rather, ecosystem management must seek consensus among the various stakeholders within each ecosystem. (3) Reconciling temporal scales. Whereas management agencies are often forced to make decisions on a fiscal-year basis, ecosystem management must deal with time scales that transcend human lifetimes. Ecosystem management requires long-term planning and commitment. (4) Making the system adaptable and accountable. Successful ecosystem management requires institutions that are adaptable to changes in ecosystem characteristics and in our knowledge base. Adaptive management by definition requires the scientist's ongoing interaction with managers and the public. Communication must flow in both directions, and scientists must be willing to prioritize their research with regard to critical management needs. Scientists have much to offer in the development of monitoring programs, particularly in creating sampling approaches, statistical analyses, and scientific models. As our knowledge base evolves, scientists must develop new mechanisms to communicate research and management results. More professionals with an understanding of scientific, management, and social issues, and the ability to communicate with scientists, managers, and the public are needed. Ecosystem management is not a rejection of an anthropocentric for a totally biocentric worldview. Rather it is management that acknowledges the importance of human needs while at the same time confronting the reality that the capacity of our world to meet those needs in perpetuity has limits and depends on the functioning of ecosystems.

The Report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the Scientific Basis for Ecosystem Management

Applied historical ecology is the use of historical knowledge in the man- agement of ecosystems. Historical perspectives increase our understanding of the dynamic nature of landscapes and provide a frame of reference for assessing modern patterns and processes. Historical records, however, are often too brief or fragmentary to be useful, or they are not obtainable for the process or structure of interest. Even where long historical time series can be assembled, selection of appropriate reference conditions may be com- plicated by the past influence of humans and the many potential reference conditions encompassed by nonequilibrium dynamics. These complications, however, do not lessen the value of history; rather they underscore the need for multiple, comparative histories from many locations for evaluating both cultural and natural causes of variability, as well as for characterizing the overall dynamical properties of ecosystems. Historical knowledge may not simplify the task of setting management goals and making decisions, but 20th century trends, such as increasingly severe wildfires, suggest that disregarding history can be perilous. We describe examples from our research in the southwestern United States to illustrate some of the values and limitations of applied historical ecology. Paleoecological data from packrat middens and other natural archives have been useful for defining baseline conditions of vegetation communities, determining histories and rates of species range expansions and contractions, and discriminating between natural and cultural causes of environmental change. We describe a montane grassland restoration project in northern New Mexico that was justified and guided by an historical sequence of aerial photographs showing progressive tree invasion during the 20th century. Likewise, fire scar chronologies have been widely used to justify and guide fuel reduction and natural fire reintroduction in forests. A south- western network of fire histories illustrates the power of aggregating historical time series across spatial scales. Regional fire patterns evident in these aggregations point to the key role of interannual lags in responses of fuels and fire regimes to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (wet/dry cycles), with important implications for long-range fire hazard fore- casting. These examples of applied historical ecology emphasize that detection and expla- nation of historical trends and variability are essential to informed management.

/pdf/applied-historical-ecology-using-the-past-to-manage-for-the-233oqcpvov.pdf

Applied historical ecology: using the past to manage for the future

____________________________________ Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. 2000. Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 257 p. This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on flora and fuels can assist land managers with ecosystem and fire management planning and in their efforts to inform others about the ecological role of fire. Chapter topics include fire regime classification, autecological effects of fire, fire regime characteristics and postfire plant community developments in ecosystems throughout the United States and Canada, global climate change, ecological principles of fire regimes, and practical considerations for managing fire in an ecosytem context.

/pdf/wildland-fire-in-ecosystems-effects-of-fire-on-flora-3u9thcsxty.pdf

Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora

Everett, Richard; Hessburg, Paul; Jensen, Mark; Bormann, Bernard. 1994. Volume I: executive summary. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-317. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 61 p. (Everett, Richard L., assessment team leader; Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment). This report responds to the request by Speaker Foley and Senator Hatfield for a scientific evaluation of the effects of Forest Service management practices on the sustainability of eastern Oregon and Washington ecosystems. The report recommends analysis methods and management practices that can be used to build an experimental approach to the restoration of stressed ecosystems. A total of 113 scientists from universities, Federal and State agencies, and private companies, contributed to this report. Their research provides the basis for a sustainable ecosystem management framework to evaluate the effects of management practices on ecosystem sustainability, and recommends strategies for restoring or rehabilitating stressed ecosystems. Current and historical landscape attributes were characterized and compared for a 1.1 million-acre sample of river basins in eastern Oregon and Washington (Figure 1) in this assessment. Change in fish habitat conditions of four river basins was also studied. Terrestrial assessment data were compiled and interpreted with the assistance of more than 115 National Forest System employees. Spatial analyses were performed to determine differences in historical and existing vegetation patterns. Previous management practices were evaluated to determine their effects on current ecosystem conditions. The following changes in eastside ecosystem conditions have.occurred during the last 40 to 55 years: (J Forest fragmentation and landscape diversity increased in intensively managed watersheds, but declined in wilderness or roadless areas. CJ The acreage of early-seral, late-seral, and climax stands has decreased, while mid-seral stand acreage has increased. Additionally, the abundance of young and old forest structural stages has declined, and middle-aged structural stages have increased. Such changes have important consequences for species and landscape diversity. CJ Significant differences in insect and disease hazard severity were not detected at the river basin level due to high within-basin variability; however, some watershed hazards were substantially changed. The largest increases and decreases in specific insect or disease hazards indicate that these disturbance processes have been greatly altered by management. CJ Tree densities, fuel loads, fuel continuities, and fire hazards have increased in some watersheds, and decreased in others. The assessment analysis was not able to evaluate the contribution of green fuel ladders to fire hazards because appropriate fuel models were unavailable; however, these fuels may be one of the most important fire hazards on the eastside. CJ Riparian vegetation and associated fish habitats have been adversely affected in many watersheds by grazing, reading, irrigation, and flood control practices. (J Fire disturbance regimes have been altered through fire suppression especially on sites adapted to frequent, low and moderate severity fires.

Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment

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Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment