Ecological Integrity
Ecological
Integrity refers to the ability of an ecosystem to support and maintain ecological
processes and a diverse community of organisms. Ecological Integrity is measured
as the degree to which a diverse community of native organisms is maintained,
and is used as a proxy for ecological resilience, intended as the capacity of
an ecosystem to adapt in the face of stressors, while maintaining the functions
of interest.
For example, the presence of a diverse portfolio of species increases the probability that at least some of these species have the traits required to survive and maintain a suite of ecosystem functions in the face of climate change. Such is the case for an intact coral reef system that can better withstand the effects of ocean acidification than an impacted reef, while maintaining functions such as productivity.
For example, the presence of a diverse portfolio of species increases the probability that at least some of these species have the traits required to survive and maintain a suite of ecosystem functions in the face of climate change. Such is the case for an intact coral reef system that can better withstand the effects of ocean acidification than an impacted reef, while maintaining functions such as productivity.
Which Goals Does This Affect?
How Was It Measured?
The
Ocean Health Index measured Ecological Integrity as the relative condition of
assessed species in a given location. This was calculated as the weighted sum
of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) assessments of species. Weights used were based on the level of
extinction risk following Butchart et al. 2007: EX (extinct) = 0.0, CR
(critically endangered) = 0.2, EN (endangered) = 0.5, VU (vulnerable) = 0.7, NT
(not threatened) = 0.9, and LC (least concern) = 0.99. For primarily coastal
goals, the spatial average of these per-pixel scores was based on a 3nmi
buffer; for goals derived from all ocean waters, the spatial average was
computed for the entire EEZ.
References
Andreasen, J. Considerations for the development of a terrestrial index of ecological integrity. Ecological Indicators 1, 21–35 (2001).
Karr, J. R. Defining and assessing ecological integrity: Beyond water quality. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 12, 1521–1531 (1993).
Parrish, J. D., Braun, D. P. & Unnasch, R. S. Are we conserving what we say we are? Measuring ecological integrity within protected areas. Bioscience 53, 851–860 (2003).
PHOTO(S): © Keith A. Ellenbogen