Eco Targets, Goal Functions, and Orientors

This book introduces a new concept in ecosystem theory and discusses it in an interdisciplinary framework, originating in succession theory, network theory and thermodynamics. The central hypothesis claims that there are certain system attributes which are regularly optimized in the course of ecosystem development. Many of these orientators can also be interpretated as general attributes for self-organizing processes. As a result of the discussions, a new quality of a holistic environmental management is designed, capable of integrating the ideas of sustainability, ecological integrity, and ecosystem health.