The Harmoniously Confused World, A Report About Six Years of Research on the Ecosystems Design and Management Program

摘要

Establishment of a new science of ecosystem design and management at Michigan State University (MSU) is described. The interdisciplinary approach to ecological problems represented a reaction against mathematical models for ecological systems developed by engineers in the early 1960's. MSU's Ecosystem Design and Management Program (EDMP) underwent three phases from 1970-76. The first phase provided continuation and expansion of planning that led to the initial NSF grant. Investigators explored current developments in a wide array of disciplines and determined ways in which collaborative efforts might have maximum impact on environmental quality. The second phase encompassed five subprojects: (1) pest management, (2) beef production, (3) stream ecosystems, (4) lake ecosystems, and (5) soil ecosystems.