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The Ecosystem Approach Advanced User Guide

1. Introduction

Ecosystems change, including species composition and population abundance.  Hence, management should adapt to the changes.  Apart from their inherent dynamics of change, ecosystems are beset by a complex of uncertainties and potential "surprises" in the human, biological and environmental realms.  Traditional disturbance regimes may be important for ecosystem structure and functioning, and may need to be maintained or restored.  The utilization of adaptive management is necessary to anticipate and cater for such changes and events. There should be caution in making any decision that may foreclose future options, but at the same time, consideration should be given to mitigating actions that will enable adaptation to long-term changes such as climate change.

Guidelines for answering this question

Natural resource managers must recognize that natural and human-induced change is inevitable and take this into account in their management plans. 

Adaptive management should be encouraged when there is a risk of degradation or loss of habitats, as it can facilitate taking early actions in response to change.  


Adaptive management must identify and take account of risks and uncertainties.  






Monitoring methods
Participation programmes

Further explanation
Such changes are not necessarily constant, rather they are variable, dynamic and usually difficult to predict at any point in time.
It is therefore difficult to select an appropriate outcome or future state of an ecosystem as a static management goal. Instead, in addressing this and Task 8, management should focus on maintaining the natural processes, which drive those changes.

  • United Nations
  • United Nations Environment Programme