Can ecosystems be healthy? Critical consideration of concepts

P. Calow

doi:10.1007/BF00044403

Can ecosystems be healthy? Critical consideration of concepts

P. Calow

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Health, it is argued, implies that a system has an optimum state that can be defended. For organisms and populations this can be understood objectively and generally in terms of neo-Darwinian principles. Similar reasoning cannot be applied to ecosystems. The possible advantages and difficulties of applying this concept of health to ecosystems are critically considered.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Volume	1
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00044403
State	Published - Mar 1 1992

Keywords

analogy
control
fitness
optimization
teleology

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10.1007/BF00044403

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abstract = "Health, it is argued, implies that a system has an optimum state that can be defended. For organisms and populations this can be understood objectively and generally in terms of neo-Darwinian principles. Similar reasoning cannot be applied to ecosystems. The possible advantages and difficulties of applying this concept of health to ecosystems are critically considered.",

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KW - optimization

KW - teleology

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Can ecosystems be healthy? Critical consideration of concepts

Abstract

Keywords

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