Unlike other natural resource management texts that focus solely on the ecological aspects of resources—and with an overly pessimistic view of the future—this text explores natural resource management in context in a functional, applied framework by integrating ecology, history, planning, economics, and policy into coverage of each natural resource, and by providing a balanced, guarded optimistic view of the most current research and technology's capability to overcome natural resource problems. Exceptionally straightforward and readable, it is easily accessible to students with limited background in ecology, biology, and economics.