Bioregional Assessments

by Johnson, K. Norman; Swanson, Frederick F.; Herring, Margaret; Greene, Sarah

• ISBN13: 9781559636582
• ISBN10: 1559636580
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Island Pr

Summary

In diverse regions around the country, impending crises over dwindling natural resources and conflicts over land use have given birth to a new approach to environmental management and policymaking. Known as bioregional assessment, the approach gives science and scientists a crucial role in the policymaking process, bringing together experts on a range of issues to assess existing ecological and social conditions and to provide a base of knowledge from which to develop policy options and management decisions.A number of high-profile assessments have been conducted, and while much has been written on individual projects, little has been done to compare assessments or integrate the lessons they provide. Bioregional Assessmentssynthesizes the knowledge from many regions by examining the assessment process and detailing a series of case studies from around the country. Each case study, written by knowledgeable leaders from the region, features a detailed description of the project followed by reviews from the perspectives of science, management, and policy.Case studies examined are the Forest Ecosystem Management Assess ment Team (FEMAT) Assessment; the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Assessments; the Everglades-South Florida Assessments; the Northern Forest Lands Assessments; Southern California Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP); the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project; and the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project.In addition, the book features introductory chapters that examine the challenges inherent in the assessment of complex regional systems, and the role of science in the assessment process. The concluding chapter provides a synthesis and analysis of the assessment process.Bioregional assessments are quickly becoming an essential part of ecosystem management. This book provides a unique look at the theory and practice of bioregional assessments, and is an essential volume for resource managers, scientists, policymakers, and anyone involved with formulating or implementing strategies for regional planning and ecosystem management.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction	p. 1
Learning from the Past and Moving to the Future	p. 11
Stepping Back: Assessing for Understanding in Complex Regional Systems	p. 27
History and Assessments: Punctuated Nonequilibrium	p. 43
Perspectives on Scientists and Science in Bioregional Assessments	p. 55
A Political Context Model for Bioregional Assessments	p. 71
Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team Assessment	p. 85
Case Study	p. 87
Science Review	p. 117
Management Review	p. 121
Policy Review	p. 127
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin Assessments	p. 133
Case Study	p. 135
Science Review	p. 153
Management Review	p. 157
Policy Review	p. 162
Everglades-South Florida Assessments	p. 167
Case Study	p. 169
Science Review	p. 187
Management Review	p. 192
Policy Review	p. 196
Northern Forest Lands Assessments	p. 201
Case Study	p. 203
Science Review	p. 214
Management Review	p. 218
Policy Review	p. 224
Southern California Natural Community Conservation Planning	p. 229
Case Study	p. 231
Science Review	p. 248
Management Review	p. 255
Policy Review	p. 262
Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project	p. 269
Case Study	p. 271
Science Review	p. 288
Management Review	p. 293
Policy Review	p. 299
Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project	p. 303
Case Study	p. 305
Science Review	p. 321
Management Review	p. 326
Policy Review	p. 330
Understanding Bioregional Assessments	p. 341
About the Contributors	p. 377
Index	p. 385
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.