Not that the world needs another cynical environmentalist blogging, but as I read The Encyclopedia of Earth article on ecosystem-based management I found myself wondering how global issues could be addressed at an ecosystem level. The example that first came to mind was the impact of global climate change on coral reefs. As ocean temperatures increase, tiny algae that live symbiotically inside of coral and provide them with food cannot survive. This leads to death of the coral, and is described as coral bleaching. Although I believe that ecosystem-based management does a good job of including multiple actors and the interplay between them, I am not sure how management at an ecosystem level can address an issue that is largely out of their control.
Sources:
http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbed8c7896bb431f692c52/
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/impacts/coral_reefs/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattkieffer/4117345237/sizes/l/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Coral_Outcrop_Flynn_Reef.jpg