What is Ecosystem Management?

Ecosystem management brings an integrated perspective to natural resource management. It takes a “big-picture” approach, replacing short term, single species management with multi-species, long-term and large-scale approaches. For example, instead of managing for deer and elk to maximize viewing opportunities, the National Park Service manages for the entire ecosystem, considering not only deer, elk and other herbivore populations, but also vegetation, water flow, and predators and rare species. Ecosystem management also recognizes the influence of natural disturbances such as fire and windstorms, accepting that natural ecosystems are dynamic and change over time.