One of the issues with ecosystem-based management (EBM) is that it inherently relies on management officials to delineate ecosystems, and that’s not an easy task for management officials, particularly for management officials at the state, regional, and national level.  Even within a single national forest or national park (which tend to be built around some prominent feature or ecosystem) ecosystems can vary widely.  These protected areas can cover thousands of square miles, and even if the overall area seems homogenous at first glance, no stretch of land that big can be exactly the same.  This is especially true in montane regions, where even the two sides of the same mountain often vary.  The north- and south-facing slopes can be entirely disparate ecosystems, and areas near streams and above the timber line can differ from surrounding areas as well.

So what might EBM look like in these montane areas?  I think Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software could greatly help.  Using GIS, resource managers can delineate ecosystems with a surprising degree of accuracy by using readily available information on vegetative cover and topography.  Ecosystem maps can be made, and these maps can be used for any number of purposes: projecting the best logging sites, predicting area most prone to wildfire, cataloging the locations and dates of previous wildfires, etc.  Using these maps, forest managers could even mark routes to logging sites that cause the least environmental degradation, mark patches only suitable for heli-logging, or estimate costs of access prior to the bidding process.  By minimizing uncertainty, loggers can submit more accurate bids and managers can better ensure that measures are taken to prevent degradation before logging even occurs.  It’s a win-win for everyone.