The latest BRIDGES contribution in Freshwater Science (Freshwater Science 31(1): 222-264, Mar 2012, fact sheet) promotes discussion of emerging ideas for forest management practices based on emulation of natural disturbances (END). The five papers, featured in BRIDGES, explore the development, application, and implications of END techniques on aquatic and riparian ecosystems.

In contrast to conventional forest management using fixed-width riparian buffers, END promotes occasional harvesting adjacent to water bodies to mimic natural disturbances such as wildfire. The authors propose guiding principles to integrate END in forest management, but also call for empirical testing of management guidelines, the incorporation of disturbance ecology principles into practice, and adaptive management methods to ensure effective application of END practices.