ABSTRACT
Adaptive management areas (AMAs) were created in the Northwest to resolve conflicts between logging and the northern spotted owl. The assumption of adaptive management is that our knowledge of an ecosystem is incomplete and elusive. This means management itself is a process of learning, which utilizes scientific assessments as well as the knowledge and values of others who know and use the forests. The rainforests are precious natural habitats, which provide homes for tens of thousands of unique plant and animal species. These forests also reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere through photosynthesis, which converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and enables plants to grow. International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, have lobbied governments and raised funds to support the creation of wildlife reserves in Asian and African countries.
