Forest Conservation and Management in the Anthropocene: Adaptation of Science, Policy, and Practices

Summary

Climate change is but one aspect of the Anthropocene, a new epoch in which the effects of human activities have become the predominant force in the global biosphere. More than just an overlay on the traditional concerns of sustainable natural resource management, the uncertainties associated with these effects are creating a 'no-analogue future' in which must of the existing science relating to the functioning and response of forest ecosystems - which serves as the fundamental basis for current forest management practices and policies - must be reconsidered. In these collected papers, leading scientists, resource managers and policy specialists explore the implications of climate change and other manifestations of the Anthropocene on the management of wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water, and other resources, with particular attention to the effects of wildfire. Recommendations include the need for a supporting institutional, legal, and policy framework that is not just different but more dynamic, to facilitate resource management adaptation and preparedness in a period of accelerating environmental change.