Application of ecological engineering principles in landscape management

Abstract

Mitsch and Jorgensen proposed to base ecological engineering on 14 ecological principles in their book from 1989, Ecotechnology, an Introduction to Ecological Engineering (Mitsch and Jorgensen 1989). In their book Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration (Mitsch and Jorgensen 2003), the 14 principles were expanded to 19 principles. The idea behind these ecological engineering principles is that all ecotechnological project - it means all projects that use engineering and management of ecosystems should be based on these principles. The principles could to a certain extent be applied as a check list on what to remember, when ecological engineering projects are implemented in practice. The principles are very general in the sense that they should be applicable for all type of ecosystems and all ecological engineering projects. Jorgensen and Nielsen (1996) have previously applied the principles as checklist for organic and integrated farming and shown that industrial farming is violating several of the principles. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.