- Te Kura Pūtaiao Koiora | School of Biological Sciences, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
- Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation, PO Box 5244, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Te Pūnaha Matatini, Centre of Research Excellence in Complex Systems, New Zealand
Complex interactions between species, their environment, and people make species-specific management difficult and can lead to scale mismatches between management actions and ecological processes. However, taking a broader landscape-scale approach to management could help to avoid cascading negative effects of local-scale practices. Here, key lessons from ecological processes in a braided river highlight how landscape-scale management can benefit whole-ecosystem properties and species-specific persistence, and demonstrate the importance of considering the landscape context of ecological processes in conservation planning. Ultimately, we argue that a shift in thinking towards ecological processes at landscape scales will create more successful and cohesive management outcomes.