Au sujet de l’état de santé des écosystèmes / About the ecosystem health

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem health, often associated with that of integrity, is a metaphor that inaccurately, but evocatively, compares the functioning of ecosystems to that of an organism. Although much criticized, this concept, which has no precise definition in scientific ecology, is still used in environmentalist discourse. It contributes to the erroneous perpetuation of a normative vision among the public according to which there are healthy systems that function "normally" when they are not degraded by human activities. This metaphor is part of the history of ecology, which has favored the mechanistic concept of a nature in balance, which dysfunctions when disturbed. However, ecosystems are constantly changing so that there is no standard reference system.