Ecosystem management : lessons from around the world. A guide for development and conservation practitioners

The future of much of the biosphere will depend on managing large areas using an integrated approach that recognizes human populations have a keen interest in ensuring the continuing productivity of the ecosystems within which they live. Such an approach will have to meet local needs, maintain or restore ecosystem integrity and conserve biodiversity. The guide presents the principles of the ecosystem approach and demonstrates how the concept can be introduced into policies, procedures, practices and investment support. The current state of knowledge of ecosystem management is included and the editors draw together the key lessons learned in the past 10 years from a number of major field projects. The guide integrates theory with these lessons from experience and translates them into practical operational guidance for development and conservation practitioners