Abstract

Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) methodological guidelines are available in relevant literature. Nevertheless, quite often applying EBM can be challenging because it requires: (1) intense and continuous efforts to coordinate management actions across a wide array of agencies/sectors; (2) intensive work by professional teams in adjusting guidelines to the specificities of the ecosystem in their area of interest; and (3) significant amount of data and large databases. This paper illustrates how a user-friendly Decision Support System (DSS) can break through the mentioned barriers toward the widespread application of EBM, by providing new methodological and software tools which make EBM applications easier for the decision-makers and the professional team involved. The DSS methodological tools are built on a protocol capable of handling multi-stakeholders analytical processes which can be executed straight-forward providing analytical approaches based on deterministic rather than statistical ecological assessments. This protocol identifies and quantitatively assesses the relationships between ecosystem components, functions and services, along with the associated human activities, toward delivering an integrated set of Ecosystem-Based Management measures. The DSS software enables the analysis of spatial and tabular datasets and the compilation of data-aware advanced reports, via a multi-windows interface which facilitates the browsing of large datasets through an ecosystem-based logical mapping framework. It has been successfully applied in different socio-economic and environmental contexts in various continents and, currently, is being adjusted for a north-western area in the Dominican Republic. The area comprises several ecosystems, a network of protected areas and a complex socio-economic context. This is a UNEP/CEP project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation

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