Preface to the handbook Natural resources have been studied by economists from the earliest days of the profession. They have been seen as providing the basis for national prosperity power and wealth. The ability to harness energy in new ways has been recognized as a major if not the major factor underlying the industrial revolution. Because forests fisheries and agricultural land are fundamental to food supplies these resources have been long studied. Uniting the study of natural resource issues is the growing realization that the most important energy and natural resource issues are inherently interdisciplinary. The study of resource economics has required and motivated researchers to reach out beyond their own disciplines and integrate ideas from other fields into their own disciplines. This integration will influence not only resource economics but also other areas within economics.