Ecosystem management (EM) is a concept that has germinated within the past 20 years and continues to increase in popularity across the United States and Canada. It is a concept that eludes one concise definition, however, because it embodies different meanings in different contexts and for different people and organizations. This can be witnessed by the multiple variations on its title, e.g., ecosystem-based management or collaborative ecosystem management. The definitions that have been given for EM, though varied, fall into two distinct groups. One group emphasizes long term ecosystem integrity, while the other group emphasizes an intention to address all concerns equally, be they economic, ecological, political or social, by actively engaging and incorporating the multitude of stakeholders (literally, those who "hold a stake" in the issue) into the decision-making process.

One usable though incomplete definition of EM is provided by R. Edward Grumbine: "Ecosystem management...