Abstract
AbstractBackgroundAlthough a standard taxonomy of organisms has existed for nearly 300 years, no consensus has yet been reached on principles for systematization of ecological diversity (i.e., the co‐ordinated variation of abiotic and biotic components of natural diversity). In a rapidly changing world, where nature is under constant pressure, standardized terms and methods for characterization of ecological diversity are urgently needed (e.g., to enhance precision and credibility of global change assessments).AimThe aim is to present the EcoSyst framework, a set of general principles and methods for systematization of natural diversity that simultaneously addresses biotic and abiotic variation, and to discuss perspectives opened by this framework.InnovationEcoSyst provides a framework for systematizing natural variation in a consistent manner across different levels of organization. At each ecodiversity level, EcoSyst principles can be used to establish: (a) an extensive attribute system with descriptive variables that cover all relevant sources of variation; (b) a hierarchical‐type system; and (c) a set of guidelines for land‐cover mapping that is consistent across spatial scales. EcoSyst type systems can be conceptualized as multidimensional models, by which a key characteristic (the response) is related to variation in one or more key sources of variation (predictors). EcoSyst type hierarchies are developed by a gradient‐based iterative procedure, by which the “ecodiversity distance” (i.e., the extent to which the key characteristic differs between adjacent candidate types) is standardized and the ecological processes behind observed patterns are explicitly taken into account.ApplicationWe present “Nature in Norway” (NiN), an implementation of the EcoSyst framework for Norway for the ecosystem and landscape levels of ecodiversity. Examples of applications to research and management are given.ConclusionThe EcoSyst framework provides a theoretical platform, principles and methods that can complement and enhance initiatives towards a global‐scale systematics of ecodiversity.
Highlights
THE ELUSIVE HIGHER LEVELS OF NATUR AL DIVERSIT YThe establishment of explicit principles for a universal, dynamic systematics of organisms (Linnaeus, 1753; Ruggiero et al, 2015), closely linked to evolutionary theory (Darwin, 1859; Huxley, 1942; Noble, 2015), represents a major landmark in the advancement of natural sciences (Nature, 2007)
Principle 3 implies that characteristics that are observable at a given spatial scale, regardless of whether they belong to the selected key source of variation or key characteristic for the level-specific ecodiversity model or other sources of variation, shall be eligible for incorporation in the attribute system
We argue that the resulting hierarchical type systems are well suited for basic scientific purposes and for land-cover mapping (e.g., Alexander & Millington, 2000) and other applied purposes, such as red-list assessment of ecosystems (e.g., IUCN, 2018), conservation planning (e.g., Beier et al, 2015; Sayre et al, 2020), landscape planning (Marsh, 2005) and sustainable harvesting of natural resources (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2007)
Summary
Definition A more or less uniform area, comprising all organisms, the total environment they live in and are adapted to, and the processes that regulate relationships among organisms and between organisms and the environment (natural, or dependent on or shaped by human activities). A more or less uniform area including multiple ecosystems, aquatic and terrestrial, characterized by its content of observable, natural and human-induced landscape elements (i.e., natural or human-induced objects or characteristics), including spatial units assigned to types at an ecodiversity level lower than the landscape level, which can be identified and observed on a spatial scale relevant for the landscape level of ecodiversity. Variation along complex landscape variables [referred to as complex landscape gradients (CLGs); i.e., summaries of the co-ordinated variation in: (a) geo-ecological characteristics, such as topography and broad structural patterns of the terrain, and the underlying geological properties, including bedrock and soil composition; (b) expressed climatemediated variation (e.g., forested versus open, alpine areas); and (c) human land use, including both gradual and discrete variation]. Composition of observable landscape elements that occur within a relevant spatial unit, quantified by an appropriate performance measure
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