摘要：Management of arid ecosystems (MEZA by its Spanish acronym) is a Master of Science program that started in1990 when very few interdisciplinary programs in environmental management existed in the world. Graduates and currentstudents recognize the importance of a group of pioneers in multidisc iplinary practice who have translated the scientific findingsand insights of a diverse scholarly community into practical applications within the city in which the University of Baja California,El Sauzal campus, is located and its surrounding arid and coastal rural areas. Students and teachers have produced 20 ecosystemmanagement plans, which have trained the students in practical teamwork. Most of these plans addressed an inquiry by a localcommunity or government decision maker, which is considered to be the key origin of a project. In this paper, the MEZA programthat the teachers designed is briefly described, and a series of projects are given as examples of their work. Two projects aremore thoroughly explained because all of the coauthors (2009 and 2010 students) participated in these projects and believe thatit is a valuable experience to share with others
关键词：ecosystem management; Ensenada-Baja California; local knowledge; local participation; management planning;multidisciplinary research
