Ecosystem Management vs. Ecosystem-based Management

Ecosystem management and ecosystem-based management (EBM) are both approaches that aim to conserve and restore ecosystems and their services, but they have some differences in their scope, principles, and applications.

Ecosystem management is an approach that focuses on the protection and restoration of the structure, function, and diversity of specific ecosystems, while ecosystem-based management is an approach that considers the interactions and trade-offs among multiple ecosystem components, including humans and their activities.

Ecosystem-based management is an approach that considers the interactions and trade-offs among multiple ecosystem components, including humans and their activities.

Ecosystem management is often applied to specific ecosystems or landscapes, such as forests, wetlands, or coral reefs, and aims to maintain or enhance their ecological integrity and resilience. Ecosystem management may involve setting conservation goals, identifying indicators of ecosystem health, monitoring changes, and implementing adaptive management practices.

Ecosystem-based management is a broader and more holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of ecosystems across scales and sectors, and the multiple values and services they provide to humans. Ecosystem-based management may involve assessing the cumulative impacts of human activities on ecosystems, balancing competing demands and objectives, engaging diverse stakeholders, and coordinating governance and policy instruments.

Practicing ecosystem-based management in the Great Lakes, for example, would involve collaboratively setting common goals and indicators that consider the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, assessing the cumulative impacts of human activities, implementing adaptive management practices (such as measures to reduce pollution run-off or enforce catch limits), and then coordinating policies and actions across sectors and jurisdictions. It would also include continuously monitoring the health of the ecosystem and adjusting management strategies as needed based on new information and changing environmental conditions.

In summary, ecosystem management is essentially a subset of ecosystem-based management, as the latter encompasses the former but goes one step further by considering the social, economic, and institutional dimensions of managing ecosystems. Both approaches share the common goal of sustaining ecosystem health and human well-being. Now you know!

Sources:

(1) Ecosystem-Based Management: Moving from Concept to Practice. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0_3.

(2) Conservation Through Ecosystem Management | SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-39534-6_9.

(3) Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management | NOAA Fisheries. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ecosystems/ecosystem-based-fisheries-management.

(4) Ecosystem-Based Management | SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_41.