Ecosystems can be complex and hard to manage. In fact, they can encompass diverse species and habitats. As such, specific planning and prioritization is needed in order to protect them from the different threats that might undermine their existence, but also preserve and enhance the life of species through a variety of measures and activities.
Description of ecosystems
The Shut-in Mountain is home to a variety of specifies. Among, these species we find invertebrates, fish, birds, fen, etc. The fen is an aquatic plant species with very little system that floats on ponds, marshes and lakes. The Shut-in Mountain fen feeds on aquatic invertebrates such mosquito larvae, protozoans and tiny crustaceans, tadpoles and newly hatched fish. This aquatic freshwater ecosystem is surrounded a terrestrial ecosystem which is a habitat for many species such as beavers, birds.
Currently, humans exploit the aquatic through fishing and practice recreational hunting or for consumption. There also thousands of visitors who go there for recreational activities. However, over exploitation of these ecosystems could result in the extinction of the species which live in these natural habitats. The hunting and the fishing could be beneficial to humans through consumption and/or sale of their game. For instance, they can sell the fur and hides from mammals. In addition, humans could benefit from these ecosystems for medical purposes. For example, beavers’ castor sacs are used in traditional medicine.
Current and potential management
These ecosystems should not just be left to wild exploitation, however, as this may lead to the extinction of the species that inhabit them. Thus, there should be a good management of the ecosystems to prevent dire consequences as a result of over exploitation. One potential management plan is the conservation of resources in the ecosystems by regulating exploitation activities. In this respect, exploitation licenses should be required and exploitation should be banned on certain periods in order allow species regenerate. Management through conservation also contributes to maintaining sustainable use of the resources available in the ecosystems. The combined management plans of conservation and controlled use of species will result in maintaining a balance between the availability of resources and their exploitation, which will lead to the preservation of the ecosystems through time.
Prioritize conservation
In the process of the conservation of ecosystems, priority should be given to the diversity of the ecosystems as well as their productivity. This will ensure the availability of resources for future exploitation. Another step in the prioritization of conservation efforts is the maintenance of sustainability by controlling the use of resources so as to prevent over exploitaion. In addition, chemical cycling and disturbance should be monitored in order to avoid destroying or seriously hindering the natural development of the species in the ecosystems.
Regional or global threat
The ecosystems should be protected from a various threats that could potentially cause its destruction in the long run. These threats can be local, regional or global. Among these them, we can identify pollution, agriculture, population, and global warming. Pollution, for instance, can come from hunters, fishermen and visitors littering the ecosystems. It can also come from agriculture (pesticides) and motor-vehicles (noise, fumes). In order to face this threat, serious measures should be taken such as regular inspections and expensive fines that potentially result in jail time for trespassers. To make sure such measures are correctly implemented, protection agents should be appointed to watch over the ecosystems and make sure the harmful and destructive activities are not carried out.

Ranking priorities
Given that humans depend on ecosystems for food, other utility resources, as well as a stable climate, they need to be protected, all the more as the accelerated development is causing a degradation or even a depletion of ecosystems. The conservation and preservation of species is also a top priority. For the preservation of ecosystems and the maintenance of biological diversity, the environmental burden must be reduced in order to promote the recovery of these ecosystems. In this regard, it appears to be necessary to conduct alternative activities through environmental management, but also through conservation that takes the natural environment into account. The promotion of activities in these areas in an integrated way. Specific activities need to be carried out towards that end, such as purifying the water (fish can die from water pollution), the air should be purified, if possible, through denitrification catalyst systems, control systems for chemical substance, and curb greenhouse gases through products, but also enhance the recycling of resources. The control of the use of resources should also be of highly valued for a sustainable exploitation. In order to ensure efficient conservation plans, immediate threats should be combated through strict measures.
Defending prioritization
The protection of ecosystems from degradation and destruction appears to be a top priority in the sense that any subsequent activity is dependent on the integrity of the ecosystems. For that reason, continuous protection measures should first be put in place. Once the ecosystems are well protected, a series of actions and activities can be carried out in order to preserve and conserve the resources. Because humans take profit of these ecosystems, the preservation of the latter is necessary in order to ensure long-term availability of resources. In this respect, a controlled use of these resources should be established so as to ensure sustainability. Since humans take great advantage of the resources found in these ecosystems, protection, preservation and conservation of the latter appear to be top priority measures that should be implemented first before allowing a controlled and lasting exploitation of those resources. Overall, this series of measures is expected to result in the preservation of the ecological integrity of ecosystems, but also the productivity, as resources will be able to regenerate. Controlled exploitation will prevent over exploitation and protect biodiversity. In addition, such measures might be costly by requiring quite a lot of agents or manager to operate, but it is absolutely feasible and part of the cost can be covered by revenues from exploitation licenses. It should be pointed out, however, that people can be a great part of the problem. As such, part of the management activities for these ecosystems should center around the monitoring of the comings and goings of visitors (also, hunters, fishermen, etc.) and the activities related to their visit. “Most reserves are open to visitors; indeed, most reserves would not exist if they did not provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. Unfortunately, the number of human visitors can be overwhelming, with some parks attracting over a million visitors per year. This means that reserve management encompasses all the problems that accompany entertaining large numbers of people: proliferation of roads, air pollution, sewage disposal, plant trampling, soil erosion, and so on. Simply put, reserve management is, first and foremost, people management” (Hunter, M. L., Jr., & Gibbs, J. P.; 2007) For this reason, and others, visitors activities should be strictly monitored.
Identifying two specific actions
One practical action directed toward the protection of ecosystems is the management of habitats. The natural habitats of species needs to be maintained and safeguarded in order to allow continuity in the productivity and sustainability of these ecosystems. Another practical action is to enhance the livelihood of species their habitat by making up for the shortages in their needs, for example the planting of trees when they have been dying, or providing species with water when their water supplies are drying out. All these measures will at length impact on the development and productivity of species since their natural environment will have been protected, preserved, and enhanced for a better quality of life. “People can also have a positive impact on wildlife populations through improvement and protection of habitat or ecosystems. The planting of trees and shrubs, as well as wildlife food plots, in the appropriate locations is one way landowners can improve wildlife habitat. People can protect ponds, streams, rivers and wetlands from sedimentation by reducing soil erosion on lands surrounding these aquatic ecosystems. Nesting boxes placed in ecosystems that lack dead, hollow trees will enhance the habitat for cavity nesting animals. There are many things people can do to improve habitat for wildlife” (http://urbanext.illinois.edu/ecosystems/teacherguide2.cfm). These practical actions should be paired with political actions that would ensure the efficiency of protection and preservation measures. One of the political actions that can be taken towards protecting the ecosystems is the establishment of monitored visits and exploitation licenses through the institutionalization of ecosystems as officially protected by law. This will regulate the frequency of visits as well as where people can go and what they do in these ecosystems. Another political action is to ban exploitation periodically in order to allow species to regenerate and avoid their extinction. Overall, these practical and political actions will contribute to the protection of the ecosystems and ensure the conservation of biodiversity by allowing regeneration of species and enhancing the quality of their environment.
Conclusion
The management of ecosystems can be intricate. However, ecosystems can be well-protected and preserved for better sustainability if there is a carefully planned course of action that is mapped onto a well-thought prioritization in order to impact the life of species in the long-term and ensure the ecological integrity.

Hunter, M. L., Jr., & Gibbs, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of conservation biology (3rd ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell/Wiley.