L. Westra - Böcker

Concepts of ecological integrity have recently been proposed to facilitate enhanced protection of biological and ecological resources against the threat of human activities. The promotion of ecological integrity as a basis for public policy and decision-making stems from scientists and others concerned about the threats of human activities to ecosystems and species, and from philosophers attempting to derive a more suitable ethic to guide the relationships between humans and the non-human environment. Although ecological integrity has been proposed as a norm for public policy and decision making, the concept is relatively new and therefore the underlying scientific and philosophical rationales have not been fully developed.

Various concepts of ecological sustainability and integrity have been proposed as a means of enhancing the protection of humans and the environment against the threat of human activities. In this book, scholars in the fields of ecology, public policy, philosophy, and economics are brought together in order to explore more fully the concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity as well as the connections between them. First, the concept of sustainability in relation to science, law, and ethics is explored. Second, concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity are applied to problems in specific natural resources. Finally, authors examine possible approaches to public policy which might include concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity. The book should be of interest to environmental professionals, whether academic, governmental or industrial, or in the private consulting sector, and should be suitable as an upper level undergraduate or graduate text or reference.

The concept of ecological integrity is used in environmental policy but is usually left undefined, the definition proposed by the Integrity Group focuses on a nature that has been impacted by human activity as little as possible, emphasizing and protecting its self-organizing 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. This study of ecological integrity is multidisciplinary, grounded in ecology, thermodynamics, ethics and complex systems approach. It covers a broad international terrain, and documents geographically wide ranging case studies. It is applied in character and does not remain at the purely conceptual level.

This book contains some of the papers which were presented at the NATO Science, Environmental Security, Advanced Research Workshop on "Implementing Ecological Integrity: Restoring Regional and Global Environmental and Human Health" held in Budapest from June 26 to July 1, 1999. All papers presented are summarized in the Introduction and, in some cases, shorter versions are published. A mUltidisciplinary core of American and Western European participants had met over the preceeding years to discuss the concept of ecological integrity. The term "ecological integrity" is found in environmental policy documents but, generally, is not defined. It competes with other recent terms, or environmental narratives, such as "ecosystem health" and "sustainable development" and also with older ones such as "conservation". Therefore, it is deemed important not only to sort out the definitions of these concepts but also to find out whether their practical implications differ. Moreover, it was interesting to find out whether participants from Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and, more generally, from NATO partner countries would be, first, responsive to this concept and, second, would hold different views of it. This explains the broad, albeit not always consistent, range oftopics which are covered in this book. The core group learned that CEEC and other NATO partners participants were responsive to the concept but that they were less exclusive of human influence.

Various concepts of ecological sustainability and integrity have been proposed as a means of enhancing the protection of humans and the environment against the threat of human activities. This book follows upon two earlier ones, both published by Kluwer Academic Publishers: Sustainable Development: Science, Ethics and Public Policy (John Lemons and Donald A. Brown, editors), and Perspectives on Ecological Integrity (Laura Westra and John Lemons, editors). In this present book, we bring together scholars in the fields of ecology, public policy, philosophy, and economics in order to explore more fully the concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity as well as the connections between them. First, the concept of sustainability in relation to science, law, and ethics is explored. Second, concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity are applied to problems in specific natural resources. Finally, authors examine possible approaches to public policy which might include concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity. Audience: Environmental professionals, whether academic, governmental or industrial, or in the private consulting sector.Also suitable as an upper level undergraduate or graduate text or reference.