ASSIGNMENT 1

Name : Karunia Akbar

NIM : 25418010
Program : Magister
Major : Urban and Regional Planning
Course : Environment and Resources
Lecturer : Djoko Santoso Abi Suroso, Ir., Ph.D.

RESUME
The Chapter One of the Book
APPLIED ECOLOGY AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Guy R. McPherson and Stephen DeStefano. 2003.
Cambridge University Press

INTEGRATING ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Understanding in ecology and management in present day cannot override the gap between
ecology and natural resource management and, in particular, focuses on plant ecology as a
foundation for vegetation and wildlife management. Therefore, a conceptual and hypothetical within
the data-rich disciplines of plant and animal ecology should be applied to environmental problem-
solving. Thus, the ecosystem management itself should depends on priciples of ecology. Contrary
with the expectation, ecosystem management often take no notice both on the neither relevant
aspects of ecological theory and ecological investigations. Thus, this book emphasizes the
importance of ecological principles to provide a framework for the application of the science of
ecology to management of ecosystems. A high expectation for the scientists and the wildlife
managers to be more understand and admire both ecology and management.

ECOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
As a science, ecology has many patterns in nature that can be observed using scientific
method. This method should explain the mechanism of patterns and answer why these a pattern
occurs using experiments from a modern scientific perspective. Including using a hypothesis to
define the patterns, while the hypothesis itself will enter the testing phase. Testing with statistical
hypotheses is not just a simple tests to reject the default statement (Ho) but also to find detail and
exact the parameters of interest. Suggestion to establish research hypotheses and the testing
hypotheses in an experimental framework has been made alongside the use of modern technological
or methodological tools.

TESTING ECOLOGICAL HYPOTHESES

An extreme view has been made that ecological research is carried out without considering
to determination pattern or testing the hypothesis, while most ecologists determining the
mechanisms underlying observed patterns for improving management. Hypothesis testing using
experiments is conducted by many ecologists because it can explain the relationship between the
 ASSIGNMENT 1

variables and the factors under study. On the contrary, most managers rely heavily on the results of
descriptive research that is very unreliable and weak because no test involved.

LIMITS TO THE APPLICATION OF ECOLOGY

Determining patterns in ecosystems is very important in explaining distribution control and
abundance of the species. However, because a lot of testing is not conducted explicitly the ecological
ability become limited. Moreover, the lack of conceptual unity in ecology and the disparity in the
goals of science and management has created significant constraints not only to concepts,
principles, and theories, but also scalling issues in associated with the utility of some scientific
approaches.

LINKING SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

The bad relationship between scientists and managers occurs due to the failure to address
various problems that actually has strong correlation between them. Indeed, with consideration of
increasingly large demands and diverse communities impose both ecologists and managers to apply
relevant ecological knowledge to the decisions. Even though ecologists are not capable in some
managerial aspects of resource management, while managers are responsible to utilize relevant
ecological information in the decision-making process.

MAKING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS

Making management decisions at the local level based on time, space and objects. Prior to
that, goals and objectives must be clearly defined and quantified to avoid obstacles in management.
In addition, decision making must be based on a future management approach and sustainable
biodiversity to find out the changing concepts in ecology by a manager.

PURSUING RELEVANT ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

The most important obstacles in overcoming the problem of environmental management are
the inability to understand ecosystem functions and dependence on descriptive research, so this
situation indicate that our knowledge is limited. To deal with this condition, the need of a logical
approach for future research is absolute. The main considerations are the context of the longer
temporal scales and greater spatial scales that expected to have maximum possibility to access
other systems to establish a bridge between correlation and constraints.