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[Connotation of ecological integrity and its assessment methods: a review]
Baorong Huang1, Zhiyun Ouyang, Hua Zheng
1State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. hijackhubaro@yahoo.com.cn
Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao = the Journal of Applied Ecology
|February 3, 2007
Summary
Ecological integrity, the ability of ecosystems to self-organize, can be assessed using indicators of biological, physical, and chemical health. This study reviews methods for evaluating ecosystem integrity and human disturbance impacts.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Context:
- Ecological integrity is crucial for maintaining balanced, adaptive biologic systems within natural habitats.
- Human disturbance poses significant threats to sensitive ecosystems, necessitating robust assessment methods.
Purpose:
- To summarize experiential indicators for assessing aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem integrity.
- To review human disturbance stressors and discuss methods for indicator selection and comprehensive assessment.
Summary:
- The paper explores the theory of dissipative structures, linking ecosystem self-organization to integrity indicators.
- It synthesizes experiential indicators for ecosystem integrity and human disturbance stressors.
- Methods for selecting priority indicators and conducting comprehensive assessments are discussed.
Impact:
- Provides a framework for evaluating and protecting ecosystem integrity against human impacts.
- Highlights areas for future research to address limitations in current assessment practices.
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