Abstract
The body of scientific knowledge generated by ecology and other related disciplines appears to be severely limited in the contribution that it can make to real-world environmental management. One of the basic constraints is that ecologists do not usually have the means at their disposal to convince environmental policy- and decision-makers that the biophysical basis of human life is both finite and fragile. This difficulty of institutionalising baseline ecological knowledge is now recognised as a global problem (Boyle and Carpenter 1994). It is easy to understand that the political arena requires policy-makers to be assertive and unambiguous, both to convince their constituencies of their sound leadership, as well as to make policies implementable. This confidence, however, is anathema to most scientists, whose professional view of life often comprises intersecting clouds of uncertainty, tied together by hypothetical flowcharts. Nevertheless, a quantitative model of ecosystem function, based on scientifically sound data, is an essential component of any effective long-term environmental management plan.
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Davis, G., Wynberg, R. (1998). Land Use Conflicts in the Western Cape Region of South Africa. In: Rundel, P.W., Montenegro, G., Jaksic, F.M. (eds) Landscape Disturbance and Biodiversity in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 136. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03543-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03543-6_4
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