In the field of natural resources management, DSSs have evolved to encompass multi-component systems that include various combinations of simulation modeling, optimisation techniques, heuristics and artificial intelligence techniques, geographic information systems (GIS), associated databases for calibration and execution, and user interface components. An assessment of existing DSS packages oriented towards ecosystem management suggested that a large majority were either in the realm of research or addressed very specific applications while very few of them were relevant for supporting the objectives of the project. No single DSS has been found to be capable of fully addressing the broad range of issues involved in the management of protected area. In this context, the project initiated the concept of the Decision Support Toolbox (DST) as a collection of tools and methods to address the needs of different stakeholders to support key components of the decision-making process.