Chapter 1 

 Organization of the 

 Characterization 



Authors: Stewart Fefer, Patricia Shettig 



The purpose of an ecological characterization is to outline and describe the 

 major ecological elements and processes in a specific area. This characteri- 

 zation describes the approximately 4000-mile area of the Maine coast north and 

 east of Cape Elizabeth (figure 1-1). It attempts to clarify the current state 

 of knowledge of this ecosystem by synthesizing and integrating existing 

 biological, physical, and socioeconomic information. It provides information 

 on the natural resources of coastal Maine in an ecological framework designed 

 to guide resource management and coastal planning and to aid in the evaluation 

 of human impacts on the ecosystem. 



An ecosystem is the sum of interactions between living organisms and their 

 environment. Organisms are influenced by each other as well as by the physi- 

 cal elements and processes surrounding them. People are an important part of 

 any ecosystem. We influence and are influenced by other elements and 

 processes in our environment. In order to manage and maintain natural 

 resources effectively, and to guide development generated by social and 

 economic demands, we must better understand how ecosystems function. 



The Maine coast is a mosaic of solid bedrock and unconsolidated glacial depo- 

 sits overlain with recent sedimentary deposits and soil. It exhibits a large 

 variety of habitats, including intertidal flats, rocky shores, estuaries, 

 islands, rivers, streams, lakes, marshes, bogs, forests, and agricultural and 

 developed lands. These habitats support diverse communities of fish, wildlife 

 and plants. This ecosystem was selected for study because of its biological 

 diversity and its proximity to proposed energy development activities (oil and 

 gas production and refining and tidal power, hydropower, coal-fired power, and 

 nuclear power generation) that may affect its ecology. 



The coast of Maine is described here from three perspectives: (1) the 

 ecosystem, the Maine coast as a whole; (2) the systems (marine, estuarine, 

 riverine, lacustrine, palustrine, forest, and agricultural and developed 

 land); and (3) the species that inhabit these systems (e.g., waterfowl, 



1-1 



10-80 



