Principles of Ecosystem Stewardship: Resilience-Based Natural Resource Management in a Changing World / Edition 1

by F Stuart Chapin III, M.C. Chapin, Gary P. Kofinas, Carl Folke

Overview

The world is undergoing unprecedented changes in many of the factors that determine its fundamental properties and their in- ence on society. These changes include climate; the chemical c- position of the atmosphere; the demands of a growing human population for food and—ber; and the mobility of organisms, ind- trial products, cultural perspectives, and information flows. The magnitude and widespread nature of these changes pose serious challenges in managing the ecosystem services on which society depends. Moreover, many of these changes are strongly influenced by human activities, so future patterns of change will continue to be influenced by society’s choices and governance. The purpose of this book is to provide a new framework for n- ural resource management—a framework based on stewardship of ecosystems for human well-being in a world dominated by unc- tainty and change. The goal of ecosystem stewardship is to respond to and shape change in social-ecological systems in order to s-tain the supply and opportunities for use of ecosystem services by society. The book links recent advances in the theory of resilience, sustainability, and vulnerability with practical issues of ecosystem management and governance. The book is aimed at advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students of natural resource management as well as professional managers, community leaders, and policy makers with backgrounds in a wide array of d- ciplines, including ecology, policy studies, economics, sociology, and anthropology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387730325
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	05/29/2009
Edition description:	2009
Pages:	401
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

F. Stuart Chapin, III is Professor of Ecology in the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Gary P. Kofinas is Associate Professor of Resource Policy and Management in the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Carl Folke is Professor and Science Director of the Skholm Resilience Centre, Skholm University.

Table of Contents

Conceptual Framework.- A Framework for Understanding Change.- Managing Ecosystems Sustainably: The Key Role of Resilience.- Livelihoods and Human Well-Being during Social-Ecological Change.- Adaptive Co-management in Social-Ecological Governance.- Transformations in Ecosystem Stewardship.- Stewarding Ecosystems for Society.- Conservation, Community, and Livelihoods: Sustaining, Renewing, and Adapting Cultural Connections to the Land.- Forest Systems: Living with Long-Term Change.- Drylands: Coping with Uncertainty, Thresholds, and Changes in State.- Freshwaters: Managing Across Scales in Space and Time.- Oceans and Estuaries: Managing the Commons.- Coastal Marine Systems: Conserving Fish and Sustaining Community Livelihoods with Co-management.- Managing Food Production Systems for Resilience.- Managing Densely Settled Social-Ecological Systems.- The Earth System: Sustaining Planetary Life-Support Systems.- Integration and Synthesis.- Resilience-Based Stewardship: Strategies for Navigating Sustainable Pathways in a Changing World.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“Throughout the work, chapter contributors link recent advances in the theory of resilience, sustainability, and vulnerability with practical issues related to the management of social-ecological systems. … This book introduces an intriguing new approach to the philosophy of resource management emphasizing proactive policies that shape change for sustainability, in contrast to current reactions to observed changes. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections.” (R. L. Smith, Choice, Vol. 47 (3), November, 2009)

From the Publisher