Bridging the Science–Policy Divide
Figure 1
The MA examines both indirect and direct drivers (both human-caused and natural) of change in ecosystems, how those changes affect ecosystem services, how those changes, in turn, influence human well-being and poverty reduction, and opportunities for interventions that can ensure ecosystem conservation and enhance human well-being. The assessment must take into consideration the multiple time and spatial scales over which these interactions take place. (Schematic is used by permission from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [2003] and published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.)