The ecosystem approach embodies a concept of the environment which emphasizes the integrated components of nature as complex adaptive systems. This book examines the relationship between the architecture and design of environmental law and the implementation of the ecosystem approach as a means to maintain ecological integrity.

Froukje Maria Platjouw is a Research Scientist in the Section for Water and Society at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. She was previously a Research Fellow in the Department of Public and International Law at the University of Oslo, Norway.

1.Introduction 2. The Ecosystem Approach: Its Understanding and Legal Development 3. Ecosystems as Subjects of Environmental Law: Their Complexity and Integrity 4. Ecosystem Services Valuation: Usage and Challenges 5. Fragmentation in Environmental Law 6. Administrative Discretion in Environmental Law 7. An Illustration of the Problem: Offshore Petroleum Exploitation in the North Sea Ecosystem 8. Towards Consistency, Coherence and a Stronger Rule of Law 9. Conclusion