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Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively in the
last 50 years than in any comparable period of human history. We
have done this to meet the growing demands for food, fresh water,
timber, fiber, and fuel. While changes to ecosystems have enhanced
the well-being of billions of people, they have also caused a
substantial and largely irreversible loss in diversity of life on
Earth, and have strained the capacity of ecosystems to continue
providing critical services.
Among the findings:
Approximately 60% of the services that support life on Earth are
being degraded or used unsustainably. The harmful consequences of
this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50
years.
Only four ecosystem services have been enhanced in the last 50
years: crops, livestock, aquaculture, and the sequestration of
carbon.
The capacity of ecosystems to neutralize pollutants, protect us
from natural disasters, and control the outbreaks of pests and
diseases is declining significantly.
Terrestrial and freshwater systems are reaching the limits of their
ability to absorb nitrogen.
Harvesting of fish and other resources from coastal and marine
systems is compromising their ability to deliver food in the
future.
Richly illustrated with maps and graphs, Current State and Trends
presents an assessment of Earth's ability to provide twenty-four
distinct services essential to human well-being. These include
food, fiber, and other materials; the regulation of the climate and
fresh water systems; underlying support systems such as nutrient
cycling; and the fulfillment of cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic
values. The volume pays particular attention to the current
healthof key ecosystems, including inland waters, forests, oceans,
croplands, and dryland systems, among others. It will be an
indispensable reference for scientists, environmentalists, agency
professionals, and students.
Our Human Planet summarizes the findings of the four working groups
and serves as a reference guide to the four main volumes in the MA
series. It presents the key findings of each of the working groups,
and meets the needs of policy makers and other professionals.
The summary also provides an overview of the framework used by the
assessment, and will serve as a guide for assessment, planning, and
management for the future.
One of the major innovations of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
is the incorporation of local and regional assessmentsu33 in alluin
a global portrait of the planetAEs health. It is the first global
assessment of ecosystems to include not only a diversity of
ecosystems, but to draw on a wide range of cultural orientations
and intellectual traditions, including those of indigenous
peoples.
The Sub-global Assessments Working Group integrated information
from multiple sources and found that biophysical factors such as
land-use change, climate change and variability, pollution, and
invasive species have a significant effect on human well-being
across cultures. For example, in places where there are no other
social safety nets, diminished human well-being tends to increase
immediate dependence on ecosystem services, which can damage the
capacity of those local ecosystems, which in turn appears to
increase the probability of natural disaster or conflict.
Representing the baseline and framework for ongoing assessments of
ecosystem and human well-being on a variety of scales around the
world, Multiscale Assessments provides students, researchers, and
policy-makers with the most comprehensive methodology for assessing
ecosystems at local, national, and regional scales.
Bridging the gap between local knowledge and western science is
essential to understanding the world's ecosystems and the ways in
which humans interact with and shape those ecosystems. This book
brings together a group of world-class scientists in an
unprecedented effort to build a formal framework for linking local
and indigenous knowledge with the global scientific enterprise.
Contributors explore the challenges, costs, and benefits of
bridging scales and knowledge systems in assessment processes and
in resource management. Case studies look at a variety of efforts
to bridge scales, providing important lessons concerning what has
worked, what has not, and the costs and benefits associated with
those efforts. Drawing on the groundbreaking work of the Millennium
Eco-system Assessment, "Bridging Scales and Knowledge Systems" will
be indispensable for future efforts to conduct ecosystem
assessments around the world.
Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively in the
last 50 years than in any comparable period of human history. We
have done this to meet the growing demands for food, fresh water,
timber, fiber, and fuel. While changes to ecosystems have enhanced
the well-being of billions of people, they have also caused a
substantial and largely irreversible loss in diversity of life on
Earth, and have strained the capacity of ecosystems to continue
providing critical services.
Among the findings:
Approximately 60% of the services that support life on Earth are
being degraded or used unsustainably. The harmful consequences of
this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50
years.
Only four ecosystem services have been enhanced in the last 50
years: crops, livestock, aquaculture, and the sequestration of
carbon.
The capacity of ecosystems to neutralize pollutants, protect us
from natural disasters, and control the outbreaks of pests and
diseases is declining significantly.
Terrestrial and freshwater systems are reaching the limits of their
ability to absorb nitrogen.
Harvesting of fish and other resources from coastal and marine
systems is compromising their ability to deliver food in the
future.
Richly illustrated with maps and graphs, Current State and Trends
presents an assessment of Earth's ability to provide twenty-four
distinct services essential to human well-being. These include
food, fiber, and other materials; the regulation of the climate and
fresh water systems; underlying support systems such as nutrient
cycling; and the fulfillment of cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic
values. The volume pays particular attention to the current
healthof key ecosystems, including inland waters, forests, oceans,
croplands, and dryland systems, among others. It will be an
indispensable reference for scientists, environmentalists, agency
professionals, and students.
One of the major innovations of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
is the incorporation of local and regional assessmentsu33 in alluin
a global portrait of the planetAEs health. It is the first global
assessment of ecosystems to include not only a diversity of
ecosystems, but to draw on a wide range of cultural orientations
and intellectual traditions, including those of indigenous
peoples.
The Sub-global Assessments Working Group integrated information
from multiple sources and found that biophysical factors such as
land-use change, climate change and variability, pollution, and
invasive species have a significant effect on human well-being
across cultures. For example, in places where there are no other
social safety nets, diminished human well-being tends to increase
immediate dependence on ecosystem services, which can damage the
capacity of those local ecosystems, which in turn appears to
increase the probability of natural disaster or conflict.
Representing the baseline and framework for ongoing assessments of
ecosystem and human well-being on a variety of scales around the
world, Multiscale Assessments provides students, researchers, and
policy-makers with the most comprehensive methodology for assessing
ecosystems at local, national, and regional scales.
With the knowledge of possible outcomes, what kind of actions
should we take? The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scored 74
response options for dealing with declines in ecosystem services
and biodiversity, and managing drivers such as climate change and
nutrient loading. This third volume in the MA series analyzes the
track record of past policies and the potential of new ones.
The challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystems while
meeting increasing demands for their services can be met only with
significant policy and institutional changes. However, a difficult
set of obstacles stand in the way. Policy makers must keep in mind
that there are both trade-offs and synergies between human
well-being, ecosystems, and ecosystem services, and that decisions
regarding these tradeoffs are difficult and often contentious. The
Responses volume ultimately establishes which policy options have
the greatest chance to overcome the obstacles and generate positive
outcomes. It will serve as an invaluable guide to the creation of
stronger policy frameworks for the future.
With the knowledge of possible outcomes, what kind of actions
should we take? The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scored 74
response options for dealing with declines in ecosystem services
and biodiversity, and managing drivers such as climate change and
nutrient loading. This third volume in the MA series analyzes the
track record of past policies and the potential of new ones.
The challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystems while
meeting increasing demands for their services can be met only with
significant policy and institutional changes. However, a difficult
set of obstacles stand in the way. Policy makers must keep in mind
that there are both trade-offs and synergies between human
well-being, ecosystems, and ecosystem services, and that decisions
regarding these tradeoffs are difficult and often contentious. The
Responses volume ultimately establishes which policy options have
the greatest chance to overcome the obstacles and generate positive
outcomes. It will serve as an invaluable guide to the creation of
stronger policy frameworks for the future.
Scenarios are an invaluable tool for analyzing complex systems and
understanding possible outcomes. This second volume of the MA
series explores the implications of four different approaches for
managing ecosystem services in the face of growing human demand for
them:
The Global Orchestration approach, in which we emphasize equity,
economic growth, and public goods, reacting to ecosystem problems
when they reach critical stages.
Order from Strength, which emphasizes security and economic
growth.
Adapting Mosaic, which emphasizes proactive management of
ecosystems, local adaptation, and flexible governance.
TechnoGarden, a globalized approach with an emphasis on green
technology and a proactive approach to managing ecosystems.
The Scenarios volume will help decision-makers and managers
identify development paths that better maintain the resilience of
ecosystems, and can reduce the risk of damage to human well-being
and the environment.
Scenarios are an invaluable tool for analyzing complex systems and
understanding possible outcomes. This second volume of the MA
series explores the implications of four different approaches for
managing ecosystem services in the face of growing human demand for
them:
The Global Orchestration approach, in which we emphasize equity,
economic growth, and public goods, reacting to ecosystem problems
when they reach critical stages.
Order from Strength, which emphasizes security and economic
growth.
Adapting Mosaic, which emphasizes proactive management of
ecosystems, local adaptation, and flexible governance.
TechnoGarden, a globalized approach with an emphasis on green
technology and a proactive approach to managing ecosystems.
The Scenarios volume will help decision-makers and managers
identify development paths that better maintain the resilience of
ecosystems, and can reduce the risk of damage to human well-being
and the environment.
Our Human Planet summarizes the findings of the four working groups
and serves as a reference guide to the four main volumes in the MA
series. It presents the key findings of each of the working groups,
and meets the needs of policy makers and other professionals.
The summary also provides an overview of the framework used by the
assessment, and will serve as a guide for assessment, planning, and
management for the future.
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being is the first product of the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year international work
program designed to meet the needs of decisionmakers for scientific
information on the links between ecosystem change and human
well-being. The book offers an overview of the project, describing
the conceptual framework that is being used, defining its scope,
and providing a baseline of understanding that all participants
need to move forward. The Millennium Assessment focuses on how
humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem
services have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may
affect people in future decades, and what types of responses can be
adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem
management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty
alleviation. The program was launched by United National
Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001, and the primary
assessment reports will be released by Island Press in 2005.
Leading scientists from more than 100 nations are conducting the
assessment, which can aid countries, regions, or companies by:
providing a clear, scientific picture of the current state of
Earth's ecosystems at multiple scales; deepening our understanding
of the relationship and linkages between ecosystems and human
well-being, including economic, social and cultural aspirations;
demonstrating the potential of ecosystems to contribute to poverty
reduction and enhanced well-being; offering scenarios of our future
human and ecological well-being; identifying and evaluating policy
and management options for sustaining ecosystem services and
harmonizing them with human needs; The Millennium Assessment is an
invaluable new resource for professionals and policymakers
concerned with international development, environmental science,
environmental policy, and related fields. It will help both in
choosing among existing options and in identifying new approaches
for achieving integrated management of land, water, and living
resources while strengthening regional, national, and local
capacities. It will also improve policy and decisionmaking at all
levels through improved collaboration between natural and social
scientists, and between scientists and policymakers. Ecosystems and
Human Well-Being is an essential introduction to the project.
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