Abstract
Ecologists have developed terminology to distinguish ecosystems based on the degree of human alteration. To this end, ecosystems can be characterized as ecosystems, impacted ecosystems, or ecosystems, depending on the role of human management in development and effects on properties. Properly classifying an as novel, impacted, or designed has critical implications for its conservation and management, but a broadly applicable definition for a ecosystem does not exist. We have provided a formal definition of ecosystem that facilitates its use in practical applications and have described four characteristics of such an ecosystem. A novel can be identified by its origins rooted in human agency, the ecological thresholds it has crossed, a significantly altered species composition, and a capacity to sustain itself. Ecosystem classification in the literature has been inconsistent. We have illustrated the application of our definition using multiple case studies representing impacted, designed, and novel ecosystems.
Highlights
Growing awareness that most of Earth’s ecosystems are influenced by humans (Vitousek et al 1997) and recognition that many of the ecosystems resulting from this influence do not resemble their natural precursors have led ecologists to distinguish between ecosystems with degraded structure and functionality and novel ecosystems
Ecologists have developed terminology to distinguish ecosystems based on the degree of human alteration
A novel ecosystem can be identified by its origins rooted in human agency, the ecological thresholds it has crossed, a significantly altered species composition, and a capacity to sustain itself
Summary
Growing awareness that most of Earth’s ecosystems are influenced by humans (Vitousek et al 1997) and recognition that many of the ecosystems resulting from this influence do not resemble their natural precursors have led ecologists to distinguish between ecosystems with degraded structure and functionality and novel ecosystems. Some ecologists have argued that novel ecosystems should be managed differently from degraded ecosystems, valued for the ecosystem services they provide, and not treated as restoration priorities (Hobbs et al 2006). Since its first use by Chapin and Starfield (1997), the concept of the “novel ecosystem” has gained traction among ecologists who wish to describe ecosystems with biotic and/or abiotic characteristics altered by humans. Because the novel ecosystem concept is applied to more systems, we believe that this definition is insufficient. Under this definition, the tropical agroforestry plantation that Hobbs et al (2006) reference (Ewel 1999) does not qualify as a novel ecosystem because researchers selected the species and managed the system.
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