Ecosystem Functions and Ecosystem Values

Abstract

Our understanding of how ecosystems function has expanded enormously since the term was first defined as a dynamical system consisting of a biological entity, typically a regional biota (community), together with its environment by Alfred George Tansley in 1935. In his analysis of the history of the ecosystem concept, Golley (1993) concluded that “the ecosystem, for some at least, has provided a basis for moving beyond strictly scientific questions to deeper questions of how humans should live with each other and the environment. In that sense, the ecosystem concept continues to grow and develop as it serves a larger purpose.” Indeed, many societal questions related to the environment are ecosystem related (Odum 1989; Cairns et al. 1992). Here, I emphasize the ongoing national debate about wetlands, such as those that occur in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to demonstrate the utility of the ecosystem concept. I begin with an overview of the ecosystem concept and how it is being applied when decisions have been made about the use, restoration, or conservation of natural resources. I then discuss the importance of separating ecological “functions” from societal “values” when applying the ecosystem concept.