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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological engineering | 2/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_engineering | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:17:54.933512+00:00 | kb-cron |
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 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.
== Relationship to other engineering disciplines == The field of Ecological Engineering is closely related to the fields of environmental engineering and civil engineering. The three broadly overlap in the area of water resources engineering, particularly the treatment and management of stormwater and wastewater. While the three disciplines of engineering are closely related to one another, there are distinct areas of expertise within each field. Ecological engineering is primarily focused on the natural environment and natural infrastructure, emphasizing the mediation of the relationship between people and planet. In complementary disciplines, civil engineering is primarily focused on built infrastructure and public works while environmental engineering focuses on the protection of public and environmental health through the treatment and management of waste streams.
== Academic curriculum (colleges) == An academic curriculum was proposed for ecological engineering in 2001. Key elements of the suggested curriculum are: environmental engineering; systems ecology; restoration ecology; ecological modeling; quantitative ecology; economics of ecological engineering, and technical electives. Complementing this set of courses were prerequisites courses in physical, biological, and chemical subject areas, and integrated design experiences. According to Matlock et al., 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., and using nutrient valuation for a dairy farm. With these principals in mind, the world's first B.S. Ecological Engineering program was formalized in 2009 at Oregon State University. In 2024, the US Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) published criteria for accreditation of Ecological Engineering program for the first time. To be accredited, B.S. Ecological Engineering programs must include:
mathematics through differential equations, probability and statistics, calculus-based physics, and college-level chemistry; earth science, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and hydrology. biological and advanced ecological sciences that focus on multi-organism self-sustaining systems at a range of scales, systems ecology, ecosystem services, and ecological modeling; material and energy balances; fate and transport of substances in and between air, water, and soil; thermodynamics of living systems; and applications of ecological principles to engineering design that include considerations of climate, species diversity, self-organization, uncertainty, sustainability, resilience, interactions between ecological and social systems, and system-scale impacts and benefits.
== See also ==
== 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 & Technology 27:438-445. K. R. Barrett (1999). "Ecological engineering in water resources: The benefits of collaborating with nature". Water International. 24: 182–188. doi:10.1080/02508069908692160. P.C. Kangas (2004). Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practice. Boca Raton, Florida: Lewis Publishers, CRC Press. 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 ==
== 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.