Ecosystem management has been suggested in recent decades as an effective way to manage forest ecosystems. Definitions of ecosystem management vary widely but generally stress that ecosystems should provide a range of goods and services to current and future generations.

Link to Ecosystem Management Site.

Management science deals explicitly with the management of complex, dynamic systems such as forest ecosystems. Scientific decision-making processes can help provide the forest values that people desire, by organizing information about systems and minimizing unintended consequences and delays in decision-making.

Link to The Decision Making Process on Ecosystem Management Site.

Ecosystem management attempts to address multiple values that, in some cases, will require coordinating management over large areas -- landscapes -- since it may not be possible to provide all values at all times from at smaller scales (e.g., stands or individual trees).