Engineering Within Ecological Constraints (1996) / Chapter Skim
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Ecological Engineering: A New Paradigm for Engineers and Ecologists
Ecological Engineering: A New Paradigm for Engineers and Ecologists
Pages 111-128
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From page 111... ...
This paper presents the most recent definition of ecological engineering, examines the new field in its historical context, contrasts it with other fields, presents a classification system for ecological engineering projects, and summarizes recent events related to the development of the field.
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From page 112... ...
It can be viewed as designing or restoring ecosystems according to ecological principles learned over the past century (Figure 1~. Ecology, as a field often designated as a discipline within the biological sciences, has had a strong history of development over the past century, dating back to the coining of the term ecology by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel (1866~.
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From page 113... ...
Ecological engineering depends on the theories developed by traditional ecology (theoretical and applied) , but knowledge gained from successes and failures of ecological engineering systems will feed back to substantiate or refute many ecological theories (from Mitsch, 1993, copyright 1993 American Chemical Society, adapted with permission)
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From page 114... ...
Ecological engineering provides approaches for conserving our natural environment while at the same time adapting to and sometimes solving difficult environmental pollution problems. The term ecological engineering has been applied to the treatment of wastewater and septage in ecologically based "green machines," with indoor greenhouse applications built both in Sweden and the United States in the late 1980s (Guterstam and Todd, 1990; Teal and Peterson, 1991, 1993~.
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From page 115... ...
. PRINCIPLES IN ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING A few basic concepts collectively distinguish ecological engineering from more conventional engineering approaches to solving environmental problems: 1.
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From page 116... ...
This focus on, and use of, biological species, communities, and ecosystems with a reliance on self-design is one feature that distinguishes ecotechnology from the traditional engineering technologies, which rely on devices and facilities to remove, transform, or contain pollutants, but which do not consider direct manipulation of ecosystems. The Acid Test The ecological theories that have been put forward in scholarly ecological publications over the past 100 years need to serve as the basis of the language and the practice of ecological engineering.
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From page 117... ...
This suggests that the ecotechnology approach could lead to a greater environmental conservation ethic than has been realized up to now. For example, when wetlands were recognized for their ecosystem values of flood control and water quality enhancement, wetland protection efforts gained a much wider degree of acceptance and even enthusiasm than they had before, despite their long-understood values as habitat for fish and wildlife (Mitsch and Gosselink, 19931.
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From page 118... ...
COMPARISONS WITH EXISTING FIELDS Environmental Engineering Ecological engineering is not the same as environmental engineering, a respected field that has been well established in universities and the workplace since the early 1960s and was called sanitary engineering before that. Environmental engineers are certainly involved in the application of scientific principles to solve pollution problems, but the concepts usually involve energy and resource-intensive operations such as settling tanks, scrubbers, filters, and chemical precipitators.
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From page 119... ...
CLASSIFICATIONS OF ECOLOGICALLY ENGINEERED SYSTEMS Classification According to Function Ecological engineering, or ecotechnology, involves several approaches or applications to the design of landscapes (Table 1~. These applications range from constructing new ecosystems for solving environmental problems to ecologically sound harvesting of existing ecosystems.
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From page 120... ...
Wastewater recycling in wetlands; sludge recycling Reconstructed wetlands; integrated fishponds Surface coal mine restoration; lake and river restoration; restoration of hazardous waste sites Biomanipulation of fish in reservoirs; biological control of eutrophication symptoms Sustainable agroecosystems; sound renewable resource harvesting SOURCE: From Jorgensen and Mitsch ( 1989)
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From page 123... ...
3. Ecological engineering is currently being practiced by many professions under a great variety of names, including ecotechnology, ecosystem restoration, artificial ecology, biomanipulation, ecosystem rehabilitation, nature engineering (in Holland)
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Short- and Long-Term Impact of Ecological Engineering In the short term, ecotechnology could bring immediate attention to the importance of "designing and building ecosystems" as a logical extension of the field of ecology as it applies directly to solving environmental problems. In the long term, ecotechnology will provide the basic and applied scientific results needed by environmental regulators and managers to control some types of pollution while reconstructing the landscape in an ecologically sound way.
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From page 125... ...
A society for ecological engineers is beginning to form in Europe. The dialogue between environmental engineers and ecological engineers has begun with joint editorials in 1994 in the Journal of Environmental Engineering and Ecological Engineering (see McCutcheon and Walski, 1994; Mitsch, 1994; Odum, 1994~.
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From page 126... ...
Research Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation 61:1691-1701.
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From page 127... ...
1987. Restoration Ecology: A Synthetic Approach to Ecological Research.
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From page 128... ...
Research Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation 63:84-89.
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