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Recent Trends in Ecosystem Management A Master's Project completed for the School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan Recent Trends in Ecosystem Management is the result of a 1-½ year research project conducted by four Resource Policy & Behavior graduate students in the School of Natural Resources & Environment. The results of this project were presented at the 2000 Society for Conservation Biology Conference held in Missoula, Montana. The full report is available in PDF format.
Overview
Since the early 1990s, ecosystem management (EM) has emerged as a promising new paradigm for natural resource management and conservation planning. In 1995, researchers at the University of Michigan conducted a broad-based study of 105 EM projects, the results of which were published in Ecosystem Management in the United States (Island Press, 1996). In an effort to track and evaluate the ecological and institutional developments at these projects over the past five years, our research team designed a comprehensive follow-up survey and administered it to project managers at these same sites. The survey focused on advances in project lifecycle, strategies, monitoring techniques, process and ecological outcomes, self-rated success, and factors impeding and facilitating project progress. Survey data received from 84 respondents was analyzed using a variety of statistical techniques, including factor analysis and several standard tests of statistical significance. Follow-up interviews with project managers were used to develop a series of 26 case studies that highlighted significant trends in the contemporary practice of ecosystem management.
Major Findings
In general, our study indicates that the ecosystem-based approach is resulting in improvements in the field.
Recommendations for Policy Makers and Project Managers The information shared by EM practitioners and the quantitative and qualitative analyses conducted by the research team led to recommendations for policymakers and managers.
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