Links between ecology and ecophilosophy, ethics and the requirements of environmental management

Fairweather, Peter G.

doi:10.1111/j.1442-9993.1993.tb00432.x

Cited by 44 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Ideally, from a scientific perspective, indicators should represent our best, up-to-date understanding of ecosystems because science is progressive and old ideas often get overturned (Kuhn, 1970;Fairweather, 1993). Presumably they all include some measure of much or all of an environment, or of some valued component of it, which clearly designates its condition along a continuum from degradation to excellent quality.…”

Section: Indicator Systems and Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

State of environment indicators of ‘river health’: exploring the metaphor

Fairweather

1999

Freshwater Biology

100

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Summary 1. Indicators are crucial to many socio‐political schemes for portraying environmental influences of society. For example, the OECD model for State of the Environment Reporting uses three different sorts of indicators (pressure, condition, response) to differentiate the present condition of the environment from the anthropogenic pressures upon it and from any societal responses made to alleviate those pressures (thereby improving aspects of the overall condition). 2. These sorts of indicators have a fundamental technical basis in the science supporting their exposition and usage. However, the criteria used in interpreting the indicator values are likely to be set by considerations that go beyond scientific grounds. That is, indicators are socially determined in the end. However, many scientists find it difficult to involve the public in such reporting. 3. Scientists who are uncomfortable with this non‐technical use of their indicator constructs should recognize that it is merely another manifestation of the overall broadening of environmental concern termed ‘ecosystem health’. The emerging field of ecosystem health seeks to take our technical understanding of how the environment functions and combine it with socio‐economic goals, using a human health metaphor and an ethical underpinning. 4. River health might be better served by adopting a veterinary approach rather than the model of human health. This is because, like animals, riverine environments come in many different forms and cannot complain of ill health. Desirable interventions will vary with the uses to which we wish to put a river and our reasons for being concerned about a river’s health. A framework for this diagnostic approach is presented. 5. An enormous challenge lies ahead in integrating the various measurements of riverine attributes that might together constitute ‘river health’. We need ways to cater for the pluralism of modern societies, and we need more dynamic assessments of river condition, possibly founded on studies of key ecological processes.

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Section: Indicator Systems and Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

State of environment indicators of ‘river health’: exploring the metaphor

Fairweather

1999

Freshwater Biology

100

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“…At the 2 control outfalls, no changes were observed. In general, the detection of whether recovery has occurred can be problematic (Fairweather 1993, McDonald & Erickson 1994, Chapman 1999, Underwood & Chapman 1999, Underwood 2000 with regard to the time-course involved and the selection of the appropriate reference and control locations. Furthermore, the level of acceptable recovery has generally not been well defined.…”

Section: Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal variation in the structure of intertidal assemblages following the removal of sewage

Archambault¹,

Banwell²,

Underwood³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Others had pointed out that merely detecting some difference in an ecosystem is not enough to indicate an impact or even a meaningful change (e.g. Fairweather, 1993). For example, on coral reefs, Connell (1997) suggested on the basis of an extensive review, that a decline in coral cover of less than 33% was not ecologically significant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%