The authors of this book provide an up-to-date assessment of research on human interactions with natural resource systems. Following an evaluation of long-term trends and the political and institutional settings, they assess the strengths and weaknesses of approaches designed to lead to a more holistic and interdisciplinary understanding. The social sciences, impact and risk assessment, and systems theory are considered in detail. The book concludes with a review of the limitations and barriers posed by disciplinary specialization and institutional fragmentation. It outlines the new approaches that will be necessary in order to better integrate concepts and data. Throughout the book, the authors pay attention to the interaction between theory and practice by including case studies and detailed examples involving specific natural resource systems.