Ecosystem management has been suggested in recent decades as an effective way to manage forest ecosystems. Definitions of ecosystem management vary widely but generally stress that ecosystems should provide a range of goods and services to current and future generations.
Management science deals explicitly with the management of complex, dynamic systems such as forest ecosystems. Scientific decision-making processes can help provide the forest values that people desire, by organizing information about systems and minimizing unintended consequences and delays in decision-making.
Ecosystem management attempts to address multiple values that, in some cases, will require coordinating management over large areas -- landscapes -- since it may not be possible to provide all values at all times from at smaller scales (e.g., stands or individual trees).