It is widely recognized that traditionally conflicting approaches to environmental management (preservation versus development) must be synthesized into a new field called ecosystem management, in which the basic ecological principles of ecosystems are applied to both natural and disturbed landscapes. Ecosystem management is bringing together academic ecologists and land use planners and policy makers, and is seen as being consistent with the Clinton Administration's approach to environmental issues. Principles of Ecosystem Management is one of the first textbooks in this field, and it will be influential in training a new generation of environmental managers, scholars, and policy makers. It combines the basic ecological principles of ecosystem management with the popular case study approach. The book will be welcomed by students, scholars, and policy makers in ecology, environmental management, resource planning, and land use policy.