Ecosystem management aims to maintain or improve the ecosystem while providing products or services to current and future users. Overexploitation of a species can harm the entire ecosystem. Ecosystem management involves maintaining the entire ecosystem, not just a specific part, and can balance conservation with human use.
There are many different definitions for the term ecosystem management, but there are two common themes across them all. First, ecosystem management must maintain or improve the ecosystem. Second, management must provide products or services to current and future users of the ecosystem.
An ecosystem is made up of all species, including humans, that live within a specific physical environment. It is made up of living and non-living components that interact to form a stable, self-perpetuating system. An ecosystem is stable in that it can adjust to internal, self-perpetuating changes as it continues without interference from humans or other species. Examples of ecosystems include coniferous forests in North America, kelp forests in the ocean, and rainforests.
If a specific part of an ecosystem is removed faster than it can be replenished, the whole system could be in trouble. This could be due to invasion by a new species or the use and exploitation of part of the ecosystem by humans. It doesn’t matter which part of the ecosystem is being removed, the effects are the same.
There are many examples of overexploitation of a species by humans, including giant sequoias in California, many different species of big game in Africa, and whales around the world. The decimation of the whale population through hunting was highly publicized. Conservation does not mean that no plant or animal can be destroyed. Rather, removal is carried out in a controlled manner, so that nothing is removed from an ecosystem faster than it can be replaced. Conservation through ecosystem management means that the entire ecosystem can be maintained while providing current and future users.
One of the main points of opposition to ecosystem management comes from those who currently use the ecosystem for their livelihoods. An example is timber production versus conservation in the coniferous forests of the US Pacific Northwest. Those in the logging industry were concerned about job losses, while conservationists pointed to the loss of key species such as owls due to the lack of trees. The ecosystem management program that was designed provided a way to harvest timber while still leaving enough trees in certain areas to maintain the species level.
It is important to note that ecosystem management involves maintaining an entire ecosystem, not just working on a specific species or part of the ecosystem. Often by focusing on just one area, other areas within the ecosystem would suffer as the single area thrives. Ecosystem management offers a more holistic view of creating a successful ecosystem for the present and the future.
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