Opening Plenary: Demands and Dilemmas at the Landscape Scale

The world today faces the almost impossible challenge of reconciling the conflicting demands that society places on natural ecosystems. The burgeoning global population requires access to food and water, health and well-being, and safety and security, as a basis for a just and equitable society. Yet, these growing demands can be met only through exploitation or modification of the natural environment, which itself must retain ecological integrity if the fabric of life is to persist and maintain essential ecosystem processes. In this panel, the speakers will set out these conflicting demands as they are perceived from divergent points of view. The moderated discussion will juxtapose these divergent views, highlight the trade-offs that may be required, and pose the question of whether there is any possibility of reconciling these objectives for long term sustainability.