Sustainable Management of Natural Resources: Mathematical Models and Methods (Environmental Science and Engineering)

Nowadays, environmental issues including air and water pollution, climate change, overexploitation of marine ecosystems, exhaustion of fossil resources, conservation of biodiversity are receiving major attention from the public, stakeholders and scholars from the local to the planetary scales. It is now clearly recognized that human activities yield major ecological and envir- mental stresses with irreversible loss of species, destruction of habitat or c- matecatastrophesasthemostdramaticexamplesoftheire?ects.Infact,these anthropogenic activities impact not only the states and dynamics of natural resources and ecosystems but also alter human health, well-being, welfare and economic wealth since these resources are support features for human life. The numerous outputs furnished by nature include direct goods such as food, drugs, energy along with indirect services such as the carbon cycle, the water cycle and pollination, to cite but a few. Hence, the various ecological changes our world is undergoing draw into question our ability to sustain economic production, wealth and the evolution of technology by taking natural systems into account. The concept of “sustainable development” covers such concerns, although no universal consensus exists about this notion. Sustainable development - phasizes the need to organize and control the dynamics and the complex - teractions between man, production activities, and natural resources in order to promote their coexistence and their common evolution. It points out the importance of studying the interfaces between society and nature, and es- ciallythecouplingbetweeneconomicsandecology.Itinducesinterdisciplinary scienti?c research for the assessment, the conservation and the management of natural resources. This book demonstrates and develops the quantitative and formal links between sustainability issues, decision and precaution problems in the management of natural resources. Applied concerns include fisheries, agriculture, biodiversity, exhaustible resources and pollution. The book aims at combining economic and ecological dimensions through an integrated modelling framework. Mathematical or numerical models and methods presented here rely on control theory of dynamical systems. They encompass equilibrium and stability, viability and invariance, intertemporal optimality ranging from discounted utilitarian to Rawlsian criteria. Deterministic, stochastic and robust frameworks are examined. In order to simplify the mathematical content, the proposed models and methods are restricted to the case of discrete time dynamics.Numerous examples are proposed together with computer programs. Drawn from teachings given at several French interdisciplinary formations dealing with environmental economics, ecology and conservation biology, the book aims at reconciling economic and ecological dimensions through a common modeling framework to cope with these environmental management problems This book examines quantitative and formal links between sustainable development issues, decision and precaution problems in the management of natural resource. It covers such areas fisheries, agriculture, biodiversity, exhaustible resource and pollution.