Ecosystem Based Management

Ecosystem-based management is an environmental management approach that recognizes the many interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation. (Christensen et al. 1996, McLeod et al. 2005)

EBM was initially applied to terrestrial space; but in recent years, there has been increased interest in EBM for management of marine space as well. If you are just learning about EBM, you might be able to benefit from the EBM Roadmap tool, developed by the Ecosystem Based Management Tools Network.

This Roadmap provides information that will help to answer questions about what it really means to take an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach; how your organization can help move EBM from concept to implementation; and how you can contribute to EBM as part of your work. The website also offers opportunities for further reading, if you just can't get enough of EBM.



Christensen, N. L., A. Bartuska, J. H. Brown, S. Carpenter, C. D'Antonio, R. Francis, J. F. Franklin, J. A. MacMahon, R. F. Noss, D. J. Parsons, C. H. Peterson, M. G. Turner, and R. G. Moodmansee. 1996. The report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the scientific basis for ecosystem management. Ecological Applications. 6:665-691

McLeod, K. L., J. Lubchenco, S. R. Palumbi, and A. A. Rosenberg. 2005. Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management. Signed by 221 academic scientists and policy experts with relevant expertise and published by the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea