In the 1990s, federal land management underwent a profound shift with the emergence and adoption of ecosystem-based management and biodiversity conservation as overarching philosophies. Ecosystem management contrasts with the single-resource management approaches that were prevalent until that time. Instead, an ecosystem-based approach focuses on management of complex systems by addressing underlying processes while taking into consideration not only ecological, but also economic, and social concerns. DoDโs adoption of this approach was reflected in a seminal 1994 DoD policy directive on ecosystem management, which was subsequently incorporated into the 1996 update of the DoD Conservation Instruction (DoDI 4715.3).
Next Page: Biodiversity Conservation
Author
Bruce Stein, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President
National Wildlife Federation
A Shift Toward Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation Sections
A Shift Toward Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation
Box 1.1: Importance of Biodiversity Conservation for the Military Mission