Ecosystem management has gained widespread visibility as an approach to the management of land to achieve sustainable natural resource use. Despite widespread interest in this emerging management paradigm, Ecosystems: Balancing Science with Management is the first book to directly propose approaches for implementing ecosystem management, give examples of viable tools, and discuss the potential implications of implementing an ecosystem approach. These ideas are framed in a historical context that examines the disjunction between ecological theory, environmental legislation and natural resources management.