ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERIZATION-AN APPROACH 



TO COASTAL PLANNING 



AND MANAGEMENT 



A. W. Palmisano 



INTRODUCTION 



We are at a crossroads in our technological 

 evolution. Having successfully passed through 

 stages of empirical and scientific approaches to 

 progress, we are at the threshold of a new age 

 which will mold our future through the integration 

 of knowledge acquired in many diverse disciplines. 

 Problems we face today are so complex and wide- 

 ranging that solutions require a holistic approach. 

 The principal strands of the new web of under- 

 standing are supported by three disciplines: tech- 

 nology, sociology, and bioecology; together they 

 comprise our environment (fig. 1). 



TECHNOLOGICAL 



SOCIOECONOMIC 



BIOECOLOGICAL 



Figure 1. Information web required for com- 

 prehensive natural resource development. 



Bioecological components alone can range in 

 scope from systems as small as the gene to those as 

 large as the biosphere. This paper suggests a mid- 

 level approach to studying ecosystems. 



Concentrated human populations and diverse 

 development activities have focused on the con- 



Office of Biological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. 

 of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. 



tinental fringes. Coastal ecosystems offer a particu- 

 larly complex challenge requiring the integration of 

 information dealing with air, land, marine, 

 estuarine, and freshwater systems. It is against this 

 background that the ecosystem characterization 

 process described in this paper has been developed. 



DEFINITION AND PURPOSE 



The concept of ecosystem characterization is 

 not very profound or complicated. A useful defi- 

 nition is a description of the important compo- 

 nents and processes comprising an ecosystem and 

 an understanding of their important functional 

 relationships. Strong emphasis is placed on systems 

 understanding through structured integration of 

 information from the physical and biological 

 sciences. Key elements of the concept are outlined 

 below: 



Ecosystem Characterization— Definition 



• Related to a specific ecosystem. 



• Provides a basic perspective of the state of 

 knowledge for the given system. 



• Provides a description of the important 

 ecosystem components and functional 

 processes. 



• Provides a mechanism for ecosystems 

 understanding through the integration of 

 components and functional processes. 



Ecosystem Characterization— Purpose 



Provides an understanding of ecosystems to 

 assist in: 



• Integration of complex ecological informa- 

 tion. 



• Identification of information deficiencies. 



