ABSTRACT
Historically, approaches to environmental management activities have been reactive rather than proactive. Responsibilities for managing different resources have been assigned to different agencies or groups within government, further fragmenting environmental management. Proactive approaches that recognize the interconnectedness of environmental components are necessary to address complex and long term environmental management issues. It considers interrelationships among and between living organisms (including humans) and their physical environment. In examining ecological aspects of ecosystem management, the Study Team formulated guiding principles based upon the fundamentals of conservation biology. Ecosystem management is intended to allow normal fluctuations in populations that could have occurred naturally. Tools for maintaining viable species populations are likely to be focused on providing habitats in an appropriate spatial and temporal arrangement. However, management of other activities such as recreational use and management of exotic species may also be required.
