Engineering Within Ecological Constraints (1996) / Chapter Skim
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Ecological Integrity and Ecological Health Are Not the Same
Ecological Integrity and Ecological Health Are Not the Same
Pages 97-110
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From page 97... ...
, and pollution control (Colborn and Clement, 1992J; they are grounded in concepts such as ecological economics (Costanza, 1991; Jansson et al., 1994) , conservation biology (Meffe and Carroll, 1994)
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From page 98... ...
A core societal vision should tee integrating all these initiatives to protect ecological integrity (Kerr, 1993; Westra, 1994) and ecological health (Costanza et al., 1992; Rapport et al., 19941.
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From page 99... ...
But we are not using those tools most effectively." THE PROBLEM OF BIOTIC IMPOVERISHMENT These organizations and the constituencies they represent recognize that all is not well on planet Earth; planetary life-support systems critical to human society are threatened. The threat is loss of biological integrity, or biotic impoverishment the systematic reduction in the earth's ability to support living systems.
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From page 100... ...
Citizens and political leaders, engineers and ecologists must work together to develop creative solutions; failure to do that will relegate the world to continued biotic impoverishment and threaten the sustainability of human society. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY AND ECOLOGICAL HEALTH If biotic impoverishment is the problem, then protecting the integrity of biological systems must be the goal.
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From page 101... ...
But the bounds over which systems change as a result of most natural events are limited when compared with the changes imposed by human activities such as row-crop agriculture, urbanization, or dam construction. Human society sets aside extensive areas as parks and reserves to protect Those areas deserve protection because of the diverse values they provide to society.
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From page 102... ...
Improved water conservation, treatment and recycling programs can delay the crisis, but growing human populations will keep society on a treadmill trying to keep up with expanding demand. Even where the supply of water remains adequate, resource degradation continues because society chronically undervalues the products and services provided by aquatic ecosystems.
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From page 103... ...
Priority lists of chemicals do not accurately reflect ecological risks; point-source approaches do not effectively control the influence of nonpoint sources or the cumulative effects of numerous contaminants; and the chemical-contaminant approach fails to diagnose and correct water resource problems caused by other human influences, such as degradation of physical habitat or alteration in flow (Kerr, 1991)
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From page 104... ...
Failure to set a clear societal goal and develop a comprehensive assessment and planning effort to accomplish that goal is unacceptable. Too often, as in the implementation of the Clean Water Act, a least-cost option to reduce water discharge is selected on the basis of available technology, a political need for equity, and narrow medium-specific goals.
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From page 105... ...
They may even be used to track the success of restoration programs. DEVELOPING INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS If we are to stem biotic impoverishment and reverse environmental degradation, we must · Set societal goals based on broad concepts of ecological integrity and ecological health.
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From page 106... ...
We must ensure that protection of ecological health and integrity plays a central role in decisions about consumer goods and development of technologies, including when, where, and how to apply technology. Failure to protect ecological integrity and ecological health across all landscapes is probably the most serious threat to the security of individuals, nations, and global human society.
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From page 107... ...
1984. Regional application of an index of biotic integrity based on stream fish communities.
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From page 108... ...
1992. Modification of an index of biotic integrity based on fish assemblages to characterize rivers of the Seine Basin, France.
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From page 109... ...
1988. Modification and assessment of an index of biotic integrity to quantify stream quality in Southern Ontario.
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