Ecosystem-based Management photo by David Riecks Ecosystem management is different from past land management approaches that focus on single purposes such as timber, agricultural production, preservation or recreation. Instead ecosystem management is a cooperative approach that attempts to simultaneously manage for all of the interests in a region or watershed . The term ecosystem management is unfamiliar to many people, but it may not be new to agricultural landowners.
Landowners typically have many goals for their land.
Production and profit are certainly important, but landowners also have such goals as conserving their soil, protecting water quality and preserving wildlife. Managing farmland with these goals in mind is admirable as far as it goes, but it usually doesn't go far enough. Individual pieces of land are not separate from their surroundings, and our management of these parcels of land should not be considered in isolation. The first requirement, to provide for a healthy ecosystem , is the foundation for all other desired human outcomes. This means attempting to maintain natural ecosystem features and processes necessary to sustain a healthy balance in the environment.