Approaches to Ecological Integrity: Divergence, Convergence and Implementation

Abstract

The concept of ecological integrity is used in environmental policy but is usually left undefined. The definition proposed by the Integrity Group is quite demanding: it tends to focus on a nature that has been impacted by human activity as little as possible, viz., located in remote areas, emphasising and protecting its self organising capacities for life as a product of the natural history of ecosystems. The demand is for an ethical reverence for life in all its manifestations. The representatives of Central and Eastern European countries are less wary of human intervention than their North American counterparts. They consider low input agricultural ecosystems as acceptable candidates for ecological integrity, on condition they contain some unproductive components. In its study of ecological integrity the book's strength is its true multidisciplinarity, strongly grounded in ecology, thermodynamics, ethics and complex systems approach. It covers a broad international terrain, it documents geographically wide ranging case studies. It is thus applied in character and does not remain at the purely conceptual level. Readership: National parks and protected areas administrators, IUCN, ecologists, conservation biologists and environmental managers.