A practical approach to implementation of ecosystem-based management: a case study using the Gulf of Maine marine ecosystem

作者：Altman Irit^*; Blakeslee April M H; Osio Giacomo C; Rillahan Christopher B; Teck Sarah J; Meyer John J; Byers James E; Rosenberg Andrew A

来源：Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011, 9(3): 183-189.

DOI：10.1890/080186

The application of ecosystem-based management (EBM) in marine environments has been widely supported by scientists, managers, and policy makers, yet implementation of this approach is difficult for various scientific, political, and social reasons. A key, but often overlooked, challenge is how to account for multiple and varied human activities and ecosystem services and incorporate ecosystem-level thinking into EBM planning. We developed methods to systematically identify the natural and human components of a specific ecosystem and to qualitatively evaluate the strength of their interactions. Using the Gulf of Maine marine ecosystem as a case study, we show how these methods may be applied, in order to identify and prioritize the most important components to be included in an EBM plan - particularly the human activities that are the strongest drivers of ecosystem change and the ecosystem services most threatened by cumulative and indirect effects of these activities.

• 出版日期2011-4