ABSTRACT
Humanity’s well-being is inextricably linked to the health of the Earth’s ecosystems. Humans interact with the ecosystem in two ways: (1) they bene¥t from a¡ordances ecosystems provide and (2) they create pressures on the ecosystem (Hassan, Scholes, and Ash, 2005). Ecosystems provide numerous bene¥ts to humans, widely termed in environmental science as “ecosystem services,” which include provisioning of food, fuel, and fresh water; regulation of climate and ³ooding; and cultural value through recreational opportunities. However, ecosystems can be stressed because they are rarely considered to an appropriate degree by individuals, businesses, or regulatory agencies while making economic and social decisions. As
Introduction ....................................................................................................193 Concept Mapping as an Environmental Research Tool ............................195 Concept Mapping Levels of Knowledge and Importance in
Tampa Bay ..............................................................................................196 Concept Mapping E¡ects of Socio-Economic Decisions on Coral
Reefs ....................................................................................................... 203 Other Applications ........................................................................................ 209 Conclusions and Moving Forward ...............................................................210 Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................211 References ........................................................................................................212
