Abstract
Ecological assessments facilitate understanding of an area’s past, present, and future conditions through comprehensive description of ecosystem patterns, processes, and functions (Lessard et al., 1999). They synthesize our knowledge of ecological Systems and commonly describe the biophysical and social limits of a system, the interrelations of its ecosystem components, and the uncertainties and assumptions that underlie a given assessment effort. Ecological assessments are not decision documents because they do not resolve issues or provide direct solutions to specific policy questions. Instead, they provide the foundation for proposed additions or changes to existing land management plans or regulatory policies and are a critical component for implementing principles of ecosystem management in land management planning (Grossarth and Nygren, 1994; Morrison, 1994; Haynes et al., 1996).
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Jensen, M.E., Christensen, N.L., Bourgeron, P.S. (2001). An Overview of Ecological Assessment Principles and Applications. In: Jensen, M.E., Bourgeron, P.S. (eds) A Guidebook for Integrated Ecological Assessments. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8620-7_2
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