Ecosystem based Managment

To adapt to the ecological crises and social inequities of the Anthropocene,
a new conservation paradigm is emerging that embraces people in nature
and the positive roles people play in ecosystem health through land
stewardship. We discuss the emergence of this new model and explore
the methods needed to research and coordinate stewardship as part of
conservation landscape planning through a practical case study. Updating
conservation frameworks to include the positive impacts people have on
ecosystems, we argue, is a powerful leverage point for catalysing more
effective and equitable nature conservation and other large-scale societal
transformations necessary for just sustainability.

The increasing complexity of global water challenges necessitates the adoption of integrated water management strategies that harmonise social, economic and environmental considerations. This chapter provides an extensive examination of policy frameworks that support the use of constructed wetlands (CWs) as a sustain-able approach to water management within the integrated water management (IWM) paradigm. Constructed wetlands offer significant ecological benefits, including water filtration, flood mitigation and habitat creation, establishing them as an essential component of nature-based water management strategies. This study explores a variety of case studies across different domains, demonstrating the impact of policy frameworks on the successful implementation of constructed wetlands and high-lighting their ability to address pressing water management issues whilst strength-ening environmental resilience. The paper underscores the importance of developing thorough and flexible policy approaches that encourage the integration of CWs into broad water management systems, thereby fostering sustainable practices that benefit both human societies and natural ecosystems.

Purpose: to propose integration directions of the results of the assessment of ecosystem services in the documents of strategic development and regulatory acts of the Russian Federation. Discussion: the conceptual contradictions in the definition of ecosystem services are analyzed, including the anthropocentricity of approaches, the fuzzy boundaries between ecosystem functions and services, and the subjectivity of the choice of objects of assessment. The authors propose to consider ecosystem services on the methodological basis of object-oriented ontology as integral results of the interaction of natural, technological, and institutional objects. The socioeconomic functions of territories are highlighted. Results: a classification of ecosystem services based on the scale of their impact on society is proposed, which is linked to the levels of strategic and territorial planning (global, national, regional, and local). A targeted approach to assessment is developed, which minimizes subjectivity and ensures the practical applicability of the results within the framework of current legislation.

River morphological quality assessment, derived from quantification of human pressures as well as river channel alteration, is a demand of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in terms of integrating hydromorphological elements in defining ecological status. Our study's aim is to contribute to the hydromorphological evaluation by proposing indicators and separating classes, based on a revisited Morphological Quality Index (rMQI) protocol. The rMQI is based on 12 indicators of human pressures, 10 indicators of channel form adjustments, and 11 indicators of functionality. The rMQI scoring system allows for the quantification of changes when compared to reference conditions, be they undisturbed or nearly undisturbed by human interventions, with absent channel adjustments and a functioning natural river style. We used the lower, meandering sector of the Prahova River to demonstrate our assessment methodology. The Lower Prahova River suffers from a minor local intervention and a diminishing intensity of fluvial processes specific to a meandering style. Meanders geometry was affected by significant changes that included a decrease in the radius of curvature, width and width-to-mean-depth ratio. We concluded that the Lower Prahova River has a good morphological quality, which is rated as second class on a scale of five levels, from natural to severely modified. We recommend an improvement in the OPEN ACCESS Water 2015, 7 2972 hydromorphological evaluation protocol in Romania by additional indicators for morphological alterations specific to each channel pattern.

River morphological quality assessment, derived from quantification of human pressures as well as river channel alteration, is a demand of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in terms of integrating hydromorphological elements in defining ecological status. Our study’s aim is to contribute to the hydromorphological evaluation by proposing indicators and separating classes, based on a revisited Morphological Quality Index (rMQI) protocol. The rMQI is based on 12 indicators of human pressures, 10 indicators of channel form adjustments, and 11 indicators of functionality. The rMQI scoring system allows for the quantification of changes when compared to reference conditions, be they undisturbed or nearly undisturbed by human interventions, with absent channel adjustments and a functioning natural river style. We used the lower, meandering sector of the Prahova River to demonstrate our assessment methodology. The Lower Prahova River suffers from a minor local intervention and a diminishi...

Consensus is that California's strategically important Sacramento Delta is headed for all manner of environmental disasters, not least of which are earthquakes and the storms, floods and dry periods associated with global and regional climate change. Added to this list are the environmental problems associated with urbanization, chemical agriculture and declining fish species in the Delta. In the prevailing view, there are so many crises that if one does not happen, others will. Therefore, the probability and consequences of something failing are extremely high, whatever way you look at it. But there is no "therefore" there. The chief feature of complexity is surprise, not inevitability. Ecosystems are very complex as are the infrastructure systems mandated to reliably manage ecosystem services, including water, hydropower and renewable energy. Surprises are happening all the time in these systems, raising the questions this paper answers: Who manages these surprises systemwide in real time? What are the answers this management provides and how do they differ from current approaches to climate change, earthquakes and other environmental crisis scenarios for the Delta?

In tolerant hardwood forests of eastern North America, multiple-aged silvicultural systems rely on advanced regeneration to restock the forests. Evaluation of the long-term influence of advanced regeneration on the mature stand is critical for improving management practices. We used a retrospective approach to evaluate the influence of advanced regeneration present at the time of harvest on the current (2012) stand structure and the quality of the growing stock. The study was carried out in partially harvested stands in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Trees were sampled from stands with varying degrees of harvest intensities, times since harvest, and site characteristics. Pre-existing advanced regeneration contributed the bulk of trees in the 10-19 cm diameter class across the stands. In stands with low-intensity harvest, the overstory was dominated by sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) that originated as advanced regeneration. In stands with high-intensity harvest, however, yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) pre-existing advanced regeneration dominated the overstory. The probability of sugar maple and yellow birch being acceptable growing stock peaked at a diameter at breast height (DBH) of about 30-40 cm, while other species combined peaked at a DBH of around 20-25 cm. Our results suggest that harvest intensities based on the dominant advanced regeneration composition and harvesting systems that minimize the risk of physical damage to advanced regeneration are required to achieve partial harvesting objectives.

Marine Environment Special Areas are regions of the sea that require enhanced protection due to their unique ecological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic significance. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), through the MARPOL Convention, mandates stronger pollution prevention methods for these areas to safeguard them from maritime pollution. This paper reflects on the importance of these Special Areas, the criteria for their designation, key learnings from IMO mandates, personal insights, practical applications, and concludes with the significance of environmental stewardship in maritime practices.

Marine Environment Special Areas are regions of the sea that require enhanced protection due to their unique ecological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic significance. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), through the MARPOL Convention, mandates stronger pollution prevention methods for these areas to safeguard them from maritime pollution. This paper reflects on the importance of these Special Areas, the criteria for their designation, key learnings from IMO mandates, personal insights, practical applications, and concludes with the significance of environmental stewardship in maritime practices. Key Learnings Marine Environment Special Areas are identified under MARPOL Annexes I, II, IV, V, and VI as sea areas needing higher levels of pollution prevention due to recognized technical reasons related to their oceanographical, ecological conditions, and vessel traffic characteristics. The designation aims at protecting vulnerable ecosystems with low water circulation, high biodiversity, presence of endangered species, and areas crucial to local livelihoods. IMO mandates stricter controls on oil, noxious substances, sewage, garbage discharge, and air emissions within these areas, representing a higher tier of environmental protection than other sea regions.

This book highlights the development of DSS and presents their application and the lessons learned from the obtained silver lining. The novel DSS integrates silo models (hydrology, water quality, fisheries, species distribution models, GIS, and economic models), manifests the spirit of interdisciplinary studies, and bridges academic sovereignty is the principal appeal of the book. Moreover, the science, the interplaying governance system, and the challenges behind the development of the DSS are fascinating as they provide valuable lessons for lake-related scientists and decision-makers, suggesting that the book can be both informative and beneficial for practitioners and academicians, particularly in the Global South countries.

The STAGES project would like to thank the marine stakeholder community for their engagement in the STAGES consultation and development of this report. The consultation was conducted in the form of an online survey (May-July 2013), stakeholder workshop (12 February 2014) and reviews of a Concept paper on a future MSFD SPI prepared by EMB and JRC and presented to the MSFD Project Coordination Group on 10 March 2014. In particular we'd like to specifically thank the following people for their further discussions and insight:

The Black Sea has suffered severe environmental degradation. Governance of the Black Sea region is complex and results in a series of scale mismatches which constrain management. This paper develops a simple classification of spatial scale mismatches incorporating the driver, pressure, state, welfare, response (DPSWR) framework. The scale mismatch classification is applied to two major environmental problems of the Black Sea, eutrophication and small pelagic fisheries. A number of scale mismatches are described and classified and potential solutions are identified.

Marine and coastal environment are under pressure from several pollution sources. Most of the environmental law was developed on a sectoral basis and does not reflect the interdependence of the various issues and their solutions. Since the adoption of Blue Book, EU legislation to protect the marine environment has been progressively implemented in many relevant areas: Fisheries, Shipping, Tourism, energy, etc. The Integrated Maritime Policy covers several cross-cutting policies, more specifically blue growth, marine data and knowledge, maritime spatial planning, integrated maritime surveillance, and sea basin strategies. Oceans and sea are influenced by many activities, interests and policies and are interlinked. A holistic, integrated approach is the best way to handle maritime affairs, with States cooperation not only on an EU States basis but also with third States and International Organizations. International Organizations provide an essential forum for international cooperation in relation to environmental issues. In this context they have two important roles to play: environmental policy-making and the development of international environmental law.

Local, regional, and global policies to manage protect and restore our oceans and coasts call for the inclusion of ecosystem services (ES) in policy-relevant research. Marine and coastal ES and the associated benefits to humans are usually assessed, quantified, and mapped at the ecosystem level to inform policy and decision-making. Yet those benefits may reach humans beyond the provisioning ecosystem, at the regional or even global level. Current efforts to map ES generated by a single ecosystem rarely consider the distribution of benefits beyond the ecosystem itself, especially at the regional or global level. In this article, we elaborate on the concept of “extra-local” ES to refer to those ES generating benefits that are enjoyed far from the providing ecosystem, focusing on the marine environment. We emphasize the spatial dimension of the different components of the ES provision framework and apply the proposed conceptual framework to food provision and climate regulation ES prov...

Globally, an increasing recognition of the importance of ecosystem-based management (EBM), Indigenous resource management (IRM), and Indigenous-led research and management is emerging; yet, case studies within scholarly literature illustrating comprehensive application of these theories and philosophies are scarce. We present the collaborative management model for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) as a contemporary Indigenous Community and Conserved Area (ICCA) that has synergistically operationalized these principles, as well as one that approaches research as a reciprocal collaboration with the Indigenous people and local community (IPLC) of place. The Heʻeia NERR was designated in 2017 through a process led by IPLC members in Hawaiʻi. This research framework is aimed at informing EBM within social-ecological systems. It, therefore, serves as an example of a program designed to demonstrate and provide practical solutions for adaptive resource management. The framework of the Heʻeia NERR embraces the values, perspectives, and IRM strategies that have been foundational for the people of the Pacific to thrive sustainably in the context of limited resources for millennia. As a program, the Heʻeia NERR aims to build bridges between coexisting worldviews as a means of informing policy in the realms of conservation and sustainability. We do this by weaving together conventional and Indigenous science to collaboratively develop research and collaboratively produce new knowledge. We examine these issues through the lens of holistic ecosystem services that consider both the reciprocal benefits that humans provide to nature as well as the full range of existential benefits that humans gain from nature. Research collaborations between the Heʻeia NERR and its partners (University of Hawaiʻi, state and federal agencies, and Indigenous-led NGOs operating in the community) are grounded in Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) with applications that will guide a future of enhanced ecosystem services in a changing world.

Raja Ampat, Indonesia's ecological crown jewel, stands on the brink of ruin. Revered as the Amazon of the seas, this marine sanctuary harbors 75% of the world's coral species and anchors the Coral Triangle's climate resilience. Yet, a 2025 illegal nickel mining scandal exposed a harrowing paradox: the global rush for green energy minerals is devastating the ecosystems that sustain life. Enabled by weak governance, regulatory capture, and greenwashing, extractive industries have violated protected waters and Indigenous rights, threatening both biodiversity and cultural heritage. This study explores the environmental, geopolitical, and social fallout of Raja Ampat's exploitation, revealing how the Global North's decarbonization agenda externalizes ecological harm to the Global South. It argues that safeguarding Raja Ampat is not just a national duty but a global moral imperative. True sustainability demands centering Indigenous sovereignty, reforming environmental governance, and building ethical, transparent supply chains. Raja Ampat's fate is a decisive moment for planetary stewardship-a test of whether humanity will prioritize ecological integrity over extractive greed.

Globally, an increasing recognition of the importance of ecosystem-based management (EBM), Indigenous resource management (IRM), and Indigenous-led research and management is emerging; yet, case studies within scholarly literature illustrating comprehensive application of these theories and philosophies are scarce. We present the collaborative management model for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) as a contemporary Indigenous Community and Conserved Area (ICCA) that has synergistically operationalized these principles, as well as one that approaches research as a reciprocal collaboration with the Indigenous people and local community (IPLC) of place. The Heʻeia NERR was designated in 2017 through a process led by IPLC members in Hawaiʻi. This research framework is aimed at informing EBM within social-ecological systems. It, therefore, serves as an example of a program designed to demonstrate and provide practical solutions for adaptive resource management. The framework of the Heʻeia NERR embraces the values, perspectives, and IRM strategies that have been foundational for the people of the Pacific to thrive sustainably in the context of limited resources for millennia. As a program, the Heʻeia NERR aims to build bridges between coexisting worldviews as a means of informing policy in the realms of conservation and sustainability. We do this by weaving together conventional and Indigenous science to collaboratively develop research and collaboratively produce new knowledge. We examine these issues through the lens of holistic ecosystem services that consider both the reciprocal benefits that humans provide to nature as well as the full range of existential benefits that humans gain from nature. Research collaborations between the Heʻeia NERR and its partners (University of Hawaiʻi, state and federal agencies, and Indigenous-led NGOs operating in the community) are grounded in Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) with applications that will guide a future of enhanced ecosystem services in a changing world.

Объектом исследования выступает труд как целенаправленная, сознательная, целесообразная и созидательная детальность человека. Предмет исследования -полезность, как некое благотворное воздействие, которое оказывает сознательная целенаправленная созидательная и целесообразная деятельность человека на что-либо или кого-либо. Цель исследования -на научных основаниях представить математическое выражение количественного измерения полезности труда, имеющего эквивалентную действительности объяснительную силу. Методологией исследования выступают -социологический метод Э. Дюркгейма, методы общей теории полезности, изложенные в работах В. Парето и Е. Е. Слуцкого; принципы оценки экономических событий, изложенные академиком АН СССР Л. В. Канторовичем, основания логики доказательств, изложенные в работах академика АН СССР А. Н. Колмогорова. Авторы поднимают общенаучные вопросы познания «целого» и «части». На основании эвристического анализа и последовательной аргументации представлено определение таких категорий, как социальное и общественное благо. Аргументировано их онтологическое различие. Аргументировано различие экономической категории «стоимость» и аксиологической категории «ценность», объяснена их возможная эквивалентность как тождество различного. Авторы выделили категории стоимости, ценности, полезности труда. Представили методологические основания их оценки. Представили практический пример оценки полезности труда.

Mangroves are among the most productive ecosystems, known for their diverse provisioning, regulating, supporting and aesthetic services. The ecosystem directly supports livelihoods and ensures food security and nutrition of people through its ecosystem services (ES) such as wood, fish and medicines while protecting them by stabilizing shorelines, reducing flooding, and mitigating climate change and natural disasters such as tsunamis. In so doing, the ecosystem promotes several sustainable development goals (SDGs) and co-benefits several others. This relationship however remains under explored with limited studies on the co-benefit scenarios and the cognitive views of mangrove resource users. This paper highlights gaps in knowledge of the role of mangroves in development and the implications on ecosystem governance. The study analysed the 'ideal' scenario presented in secondary data in comparison to community perspectives on mangrove-related development. Bearing in mind the complexity of the concept of sustainability, development was categorised at local, national and international levels, and community members were asked to mention any known links to mangrove ES at any of the three levels. Results indicate that 45.4 % (n=166) of the community understood the roles of mangroves in development. The majority (79.5 %) were able to link the ecosystem to local (village level) development, 43.1 % to both local and national development while only 13.5 % could link the ecosystem to local, national, and international development. Forty-three per cent (n=157) of the community did not know of the relationship between mangroves and development while 11.6 % (n=43) felt that mangroves do not contribute to development. The study further disaggregated this knowledge socio-demographically, highlighting opportunities for enhancing governance, conservation and the use of mangrove ecosystems in Kenya.

Globally, an increasing recognition of the importance of ecosystem-based management (EBM), Indigenous resource management (IRM), and Indigenous-led research and management is emerging; yet, case studies within scholarly literature illustrating comprehensive application of these theories and philosophies are scarce. We present the collaborative management model for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) as a contemporary Indigenous Community and Conserved Area (ICCA) that has synergistically operationalized these principles, as well as one that approaches research as a reciprocal collaboration with the Indigenous people and local community (IPLC) of place. The Heʻeia NERR was designated in 2017 through a process led by IPLC members in Hawaiʻi. This research framework is aimed at informing EBM within social-ecological systems. It, therefore, serves as an example of a program designed to demonstrate and provide practical solutions for adaptive resource management. The framework of the Heʻeia NERR embraces the values, perspectives, and IRM strategies that have been foundational for the people of the Pacific to thrive sustainably in the context of limited resources for millennia. As a program, the Heʻeia NERR aims to build bridges between coexisting worldviews as a means of informing policy in the realms of conservation and sustainability. We do this by weaving together conventional and Indigenous science to collaboratively develop research and collaboratively produce new knowledge. We examine these issues through the lens of holistic ecosystem services that consider both the reciprocal benefits that humans provide to nature as well as the full range of existential benefits that humans gain from nature. Research collaborations between the Heʻeia NERR and its partners (University of Hawaiʻi, state and federal agencies, and Indigenous-led NGOs operating in the community) are grounded in Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) with applications that will guide a future of enhanced ecosystem services in a changing world.