The Future of Human-Forest Ecosystem Sustainability

Abstract

In this book we have woven a socioecological synthesis to describe how forests and communities have changed over the last two to three decades, especially in the moist coniferous forest zone of the US Pacific Northwest. Lessons have emerged from the social, physical, and biological studies of these forests, from contemporary forest resource management, and from traditional, indigenous resource and environmental management (table 19.1). In this chapter, we take a broad perspective on what we have learned and highlight the emerging principles from our cross-disciplinary review, with an eye toward improving management of moist coniferous human-forest ecosystems. In the next and final chapter, we continue this theme and focus on some tangible steps to sustain the best these landscapes have to offer into the future.