Ecosystem Management and Sustainability analyzes myriad human-initiated processes and tools developed to foster sustainable natural resource use, preservation, and restoration. It also examines how humans interact with plant, marine, and animal life in both natural and human-altered environments. Experts explain the complex ecosystem relationships that result from invasive species, roads, fencing, and even our homes by addressing topics such as fire and groundwater management, disturbance, and ecosystem resilience. Because most people in the 21st century live in urban environments, the volume pays special attention to the ecology of cities, with detailed coverage on topics ranging from urban agriculture to landscape architecture. The volume focuses on how ecosystems across the world can be restored, maintained, and used productively and sustainably.

An ecosystem's complexity develops from the vast numbers of species interacting in ecological communities. The nature of these interactions, in turn, depends on environmental context. How do these components together influence an ecosystem's behavior as a whole? Can ecologists resolve an ecosystem's complexity in order to predict its response to disturbances? "Resolving Ecosystem Complexity" develops a framework for anticipating the ways environmental context determines the functioning of ecosystems.

Oswald Schmitz addresses the critical questions of contemporary ecology: How should an ecosystem be conceptualized to blend its biotic and biophysical components? How should evolutionary ecological principles be used to derive an operational understanding of complex, adaptive ecosystems? How should the relationship between the functional biotic diversity of ecosystems and their properties be understood? Schmitz begins with the universal concept that ecosystems are comprised of species that consume resources and which are then resources for other consumers. From this, he deduces a fundamental rule or evolutionary ecological mechanism for explaining context dependency: individuals within a species trade off foraging gains against the risk of being consumed by predators. Through empirical examples, Schmitz illustrates how species use evolutionary ecological strategies to negotiate a predator-eat-predator world, and he suggests that the implications of species trade-offs are critical to making ecology a predictive science.

Bridging the traditional divides between individuals, populations, and communities in ecology, "Resolving Ecosystem Complexity" builds a systematic foundation for thinking about natural systems.

How the science of ecology is changing to meet the daunting challenges of environmental sustainability Our species has transitioned from being one among millions on Earth to the species that is single-handedly transforming the entire planet to suit its own needs. The New Ecology shows how today's ecology can provide the insights we need to appreciate the crucial role we play in this era of unprecedented global environmental transition. Oswald Schmitz describes how the science of ecology is evolving to provide a better understanding of how human agency is shaping the natural world, often in never-before-seen ways. The new ecology emphasizes the importance of conserving species diversity and envisions humans taking on new roles as thoughtful stewards of the environment. It offers the ecological know-how to maintain and enhance our planet's environmental performance and ecosystem production for the benefit of current and future generations. Informative and engaging, this book provides the best available introduction to what this new ecology is all about-and why it matters more than ever before.

Meeting today?s environmental challenges requires a new way of thinking about the intricate dependencies between humans and nature. This book provides readers with a basic understanding of the fundamental principles of ecological science and their applications, offering an essential overview of the way ecology can be used to devise strategies to conserve the health and functioning of ecosystems.