DEFINING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
     What is ecological integrity?
     There is more than one way to define ecological integrity. A few different definitions follow:
      Š  A report by the Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada’s ational Pars in 2000 
       proposed that “an ecosystem has integrity when it is deemed characteristic for its natral 
       region  inclding the composition and abndance of nati­e species and biological 
       commnities  rates of change and spporting processes.”
      Š  In 1999  the „C Pars …egacy Panel determined that an ecosystem has ecological 
       integrity when “the strctre  composition and fnction of the ecosystem are 
       nimpaired by stresses from hman acti­ity† natral ecological processes are intact 
       and self‡sstaining  the ecosystem e­ol­es natrally and it’s capacity for self‡renewal is 
       maintained† and the ecosystem’s biodi­ersity is ensred.”
     ecosystem structure, composition 
     and function
     Ecosystems are eˆtremely compleˆ. The three primary elements of an ecosystem are its 
     strctre  composition and fnction:
     1‰ Ecosystem strctre refers to all of the li­ing and non‡li­ing physical components that 
     mae p that ecosystem. The more components that mae p an ecosystem  the more 
     compleˆ its strctre becomes.
     2‰ Ecosystem composition refers to the ­ariety of li­ing things fond within an ecosystem.
                                                   Courtesy: Biodiversity BC, 2008
     3‰ Ecosystem fnction refers to all of the natral ecological processes that occr within an 
     ecosystem. These are described below.
     * This information is provided for the convenience of the reader but is not part of our audit report.
     DEFINING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
                          Courtesy: Biodiversity BC, 2008
     * This information is provided for the convenience of the reader but is not part of our audit report.
          DEFINING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
          other definitions
          Stresses from human activity
          ‹man acti­ities can create changes to the natral landscape and  in doing so  may alter the 
          strctre  composition andŒor fnction of an ecosystem. This can mae it more difficlt or 
          e­en impossible for an ecosystem to operate normally. ‘ome of these acti­ities inclde land 
          de­elopment  logging  mining  hnting and other recreational acti­ities  sppressing natral 
          distrbances sch as fire or flooding  and introdcing eˆotic species.
          Natural ecoloical rocessessuortin rocesses
          “any natral processes mst tae place for an ecosystem to fnction normally and ha­e 
          ecological integrity. ‘ome of these processes are:
           Š  Predator Œprey cycles – for eˆample  bears eat fish and fish eat planton
           Š  trient cycling – as plants and animals die and decompose on the grond  they            Hydrologic cycle - Courtesy: BCIT Course Manual
              release energy and ntrients  as well as pro­ide food or shelter for other species
           Š  •ire – this is an essential process for some plant species to reprodce –e.g.  the heat 
              opens the seeds on a —ac pine‰                                                           •or frther information abot ecological integrity  ­isit the Pars Canada website:
           Š  ‹ydrologic cycle – water cycles from the atmosphere to Earth and bac into the 
              atmosphere again –see diagram to the right‰                                               http:ŒŒwww.pc.gc.caŒapprendre‡learnŒprofŒitm1‡conŒonŒecoŒeco1™e.asp
          Selfreneal
          An ecosystem’s capacity for self‡renewal refers to its ability to reco­er from a natral 
          distrbance sch as fire  flood or wind  and to maintain the necessary ecological processes.
          io iversity
          The biodi­ersity of a particlar area refers to the total of all plants  animals  fngi and 
          microorganisms present in that area  inclding all of their indi­idal ­ariations and all of the 
          interactions between them.
          * This information is provided for the convenience of the reader but is not part of our audit report.