adaptive ecosystem management
(A) Definition The term “adaptive ecosystem management” means a natural resource management process under which planning, implementation, monitoring, research, evaluation, and incorporation of new knowledge are combined into a management approach that— (i) is based on scientific findings and the needs of society; (ii) treats management actions as experiments; (iii) acknowledges the complexity of these systems and scientific uncertainty; and (iv) uses the resulting new knowledge to modify future management methods and policy.