Ecological engineering
Ecological engineering uses
Origins, key concepts, definitions, and applications
Ecological engineering emerged as a new idea in the early 1960s, but its definition has taken several decades to refine. Its implementation is still undergoing adjustment, and its broader recognition as a new paradigm is relatively recent. Ecological engineering was introduced by Howard Odum and others[2] as utilizing natural energy sources as the predominant input to manipulate and control environmental systems. The origins of ecological engineering are in Odum's work with ecological modeling and ecosystem simulation to capture holistic macro-patterns of energy and material flows affecting the efficient use of resources.
Mitsch and Jorgensen
Mitsch and Jorgensen[4] were the first to define ecological engineering as designing societal services such that they benefit society and nature, and later noted[5][6][7][3] the design should be systems based, sustainable, and integrate society with its natural environment.
Bergen et al.[8] defined ecological engineering as: 1) utilizing ecological science and theory; 2) applying to all types of ecosystems; 3) adapting engineering design methods; and 4) acknowledging a guiding value system.
Barrett (1999)
The applications in ecological engineering can be classified into 3 spatial scales: 1)
Design guidelines, functional classes, and design principles
Ecological engineering design will combine
Ecological engineering utilizes
Mitsch and Jorgensen[3] identified five Functional Classes for ecological engineering designs:
- Ecosystem utilized to reduce/solve pollution problem. Example: phytoremediation, wastewater wetland, and bioretention of stormwater to filter excess nutrients and metals pollution
- Ecosystem imitated or copied to address resource problem. Example: forest restoration, replacement wetlands, and installing street side rain gardens to extend canopy cover to optimize residential and urban cooling
- Ecosystem recovered after disturbance. Example: mine land restoration, lake restoration, and channel aquatic restoration with mature riparian corridors
- Ecosystem modified in ecologically sound way. Example: selective timber harvest, biomanipulation, and introduction of predator fish to reduce planktivorous fish, increase zooplankton, consume algae or phytoplankton, and clarify the water.
- Ecosystems used for benefit without destroying balance. Example: sustainable agro-ecosystems, multispecies aquaculture, and introducing agroforestry plots into residential property to generate primary production at multiple vertical levels.
Mitsch and Jorgensen[3] identified 19 Design Principles for ecological engineering, yet not all are expected to contribute to any single design:
- Ecosystem structure & function are determined by forcing functions of the system;
- Energy inputs to the ecosystems and available storage of the ecosystem is limited;
- Ecosystems are open and dissipative systems (not thermodynamic balance of energy, matter, entropy, but spontaneous appearance of complex, chaotic structure);
- Attention to a limited number of governing/controlling factors is most strategic in preventing pollution or restoring ecosystems;
- Ecosystem have some homeostatic capability that results in smoothing out and depressing the effects of strongly variable inputs;
- Match recycling pathways to the rates of ecosystems and reduce pollution effects;
- Design for pulsing systems wherever possible;
- Ecosystems are self-designing systems;
- Processes of ecosystems have characteristic time and space scales that should be accounted for in environmental management;
- Biodiversity should be championed to maintain an ecosystem's self design capacity;
- Ecotones, transition zones, are as important for ecosystems as membranes for cells;
- Coupling between ecosystems should be utilized wherever possible;
- The components of an ecosystem are interconnected, interrelated, and form a network; consider direct as well as indirect efforts of ecosystem development;
- An ecosystem has a history of development;
- Ecosystems and species are most vulnerable at their geographical edges;
- Ecosystems are hierarchical systems and are parts of a larger landscape;
- Physical and biological processes are interactive, it is important to know both physical and biological interactions and to interpret them properly;
- Eco-technology requires a holistic approach that integrates all interacting parts and processes as far as possible;
- Information in ecosystems is stored in structures.
Mitsch and Jorgensen[3] identified the following considerations prior implementing an ecological engineering design:
- Create conceptual model of determine the parts of nature connected to the project;
- Implement a computer model to simulate the impacts and uncertainty of the project;
- Optimize the project to reduce uncertainty and increase beneficial impacts.
Academic curriculum (colleges)
An academic curriculum has been proposed for ecological engineering,
Complementing this set of courses are prerequisites courses in physical, biological, and chemical subject areas, and integrated design experiences. According to Matlock et al.,[15] the design should identify constraints, characterize solutions in ecological time, and incorporate ecological economics in design evaluation. Economics of ecological engineering has been demonstrated using energy principles for a wetland.,[19] and using nutrient valuation for a dairy farm [20]
See also
- Afforestation
- Agroecology
- Agroforestry
- Analog forestry
- Biomass (ecology)
- Buffer strip
- Constructed wetland
- Energy-efficient landscaping
- Environmental engineering
- Forest farming
- Forest gardening
- Great Green Wall
- Great Plains Shelterbelt (1934- )
- Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature - an example of applied ecological engineering in the 1940s and 1950s
- Hedgerow
- Home gardens
- Human ecology
- Macro-engineering
- Sand fence
- Seawater greenhouse
- Sustainable agriculture
- Terra preta
- Three-North Shelter Forest Program
- Wildcrafting
- Windbreak
Literature
- Howard T. Odum (1963), "Man and Ecosystem" Proceedings, Lockwood Conference on the Suburban Forest and Ecology, in: Bulletin Connecticut Agric. Station.
- W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jørgensen (1989). Ecological Engineering: An Introduction to Ecotechnology. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
- W.J. Mitsch (1993), Ecological engineering—"a cooperative role with the planetary life–support systems. Environmental Science & Technology27:438-445.
- K. R. Barrett (1999). "Ecological engineering in water resources: The benefits of collaborating with nature". Water International. 24: 182–188. .
- P.C. Kangas (2004). Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practice. Boca Raton, Florida: Lewis Publishers, ISBN 978-1566705998.
- W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jørgensen (2004). Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration. New York: John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0471332640.
- H.D. van Bohemen (2004), Ecological Engineering and Civil Engineering works, Doctoral thesis TU Delft, The Netherlands.
- D. Masse; J.L. Chotte; E. Scopel (2015). "Ecological engineering for sustainable agriculture in arid and semiarid West African regions". Fiche thématique du CSFD (11): 2. Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
References
- ^ W.J. Mitsch & S.E. Jorgensen (1989), "Introduction to Ecological Engineering", In: W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jorgensen (Editors), Ecological Engineering: An Introduction to Ecotechnology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 3-12.
- ^ H.T. Odum et al. (1963), Experiments with Engineering of Marine Ecosystems, in: Publication of the Institute of Marine Science of the University of Texas, 9: 374-403.
- ^ a b c d e W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jorgensen (2004), "Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration". John Wiley & Sons, New York
- ^ W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jorgensen (1989), "Introduction to Ecological Engineering" In: W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jorgensen (Editors), Ecological Engineering: An Introduction to Ecotechnology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 3-12.
- ^ W.J. Mitsch (1993), "Ecological Engineering - A Cooperative Role with the Planetary Life Support Systems" in: Environmental Science & Technology, 27: 438-45.
- ^ W.J. Mitsch (1996), "Ecological Engineering: a new paradigm for engineers and ecologists", In: P.C. Schulze (Editor), Engineering Within Ecological Constraints. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 114-132.
- ^ a b W.J. Mitsch & S.E. Jørgensen (2003), "Ecological engineering: A field whose time has come", in: Ecological Engineering, 20(5): 363-377.
- ^ a b c S.D. Bergen et al. (2001), "Design Principles for Ecological Engineering", in: Ecological Engineering, 18: 201-210.
- .
- ^ Center for Wetlands, Ecological Engineering, webtext 2007.
- ISBN 978-1556431500.
- ^ A.M. Nahlik and W.J. Mitsch. (2006), "Tropical Treatment Wetlands Dominated by Free-Floating Macrophytes for Water Quality Improvement in Costa Rica", in: Ecological Engineering, 28: 246-257.
- ^ S.A.W. Diemont and others (2006), "Lancandon Maya Forest Management: Restoration of Soil Fertility using Native Tree Species", in: Ecological Engineering, 28: 205-212.
- ^ E.V. Krik
- ^ a b c d M.D. Matlock and others (2001), "Ecological Engineering: A Rationale for Standardized Curriculum and Professional Certification in the United States", in: Ecological Engineering, 17: 403-409.
- ^ Brown, M.T. (2004) A picture is worth a thousand words: energy systems language and simulation. Ecological Modelling 178(1-2), 83-100.
- ^ Diemont, S.W., T.J. Lawrence, and T.A. Endreny. "Envisioning Ecological Engineering Education: An International Survey of the Educational and Professional Community", Ecological Engineering, 36(4): 570-578, 2010. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.12.004
- ^ "OSU Launches First Ecological Engineering Degree in U.S." Life at OSU. 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ S. Ton, H.T. Odum & J.J. Delfino (1998), "Ecological Economic Evaluation of Wetland Management Alternatives", in: Ecological Engineering, 11: 291-302.
- ^ C. Pizarro and others, An Economic Assessment of Algal Turf Scrubber Technology for Treatment of Dairy Manure Effluent. Ecological Engineering, 26(12): 321-327.
External links
- What is "ecological engineering"? Webtext, Ecological Engineering Group, 2007.
- Ecological Engineering Student Society Website, EESS, Oregon State University, 2011.
- Ecological Engineering webtext by Howard T.Odum Center for Wetlands at the University of Florida, 2007.
Organizations
- American Ecological Engineering Society, homepage.
- Ecological Engineering Student Society Website, EESS, Oregon State University, 2011.
- American Society of Professional Wetland Engineers, homepage, wiki.
- Ecological Engineering Group, homepage.
- International Ecological Engineering Society homepage.
Scientific journals
- Ecological Engineering since 1992, with a general description of the field.
- Landscape and Ecological Engineering since 2005.
- Journal of Ecological Engineering Design Officially launched in 2021, this journal offers a diamond open access format (free to the reader, free to the authors). This is the official journal of the American Ecological Engineering Society with production support from the University of Vermont Libraries.