Measuring forest ecosystem sustainability: a resource accounting approach

A new environmental paradigm has emerged, reflecting a change in the public's understanding of resource sustainability. Forest policy makers need to be better informed about such changes to achieve economic, social, and environmental objectives in a manner that balances human needs and aspirati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 1995-09, Vol.19 (5), p.685-692
Main Authors: Xu, Z. (University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.), Bradley, D.P, Jakes, P.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACCOUNTING
AMENAGEMENT FORESTIER
COMPTABILITE
CONTABILIDAD
DURABILITE
ECOLOGIA FORESTAL
ECOLOGIE FORESTIERE
ECOSISTEMA
ECOSYSTEME
ECOSYSTEMS
ETATS UNIS
EUA
FOREST ECOLOGY
FOREST MANAGEMENT
FORESTRY POLICIES
GESTION DES RESSOURCES
MULTIPLE LAND USE
ORDENACION DE RECURSOS
ORDENACION FORESTAL
POLITICA FORESTAL
POLITIQUE FORESTIERE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SOSTENIBILIDAD
SUSTAINABILITY
TERRE A USAGE MULTIPLE
USA
USO MULTIPLE DE LA TIERRA
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Summary:A new environmental paradigm has emerged, reflecting a change in the public's understanding of resource sustainability. Forest policy makers need to be better informed about such changes to achieve economic, social, and environmental objectives in a manner that balances human needs and aspirations with ecosystem constraints. As an aid to this task, a forest resource accounting system based on the key concept of natural capital could help reshape forest policies to provide an even wider spectrum of benefits for both present and future generations by maintaining and enhancing the productive capacity of forest capital. Such a resource accounting system would provide a tool for integrating multidimensional information requirements in measuring the health of both forest ecosystems and economic systems. This paper outlines some of the features of this accounting system and proposes a framework that would integrate economic and ecological characteristics of natural resources. Forest resource accounting is urgently needed to achieve the sustainability goals of ecosystem management.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/BF02471951