Human Health in Ecosystem Health

📖 The Scoop

The purpose of this monograph is to examine definitions of ecosystem health and explore their implications for including considerations of human health in ecosystem science. It begins by setting the context of the ecosystem approach, indicating the connection between science and society. Section II explores the roots of ecosystem science in terms of the nature of ecosystem, discussing ideas of ecosystem health and integrity. Section III discusses the relations between human activity and ecosystem health, highlighting historical perspectives and recent responses to the increasingly complex relations between people and environments. Two definitions of human health set the scene for the major parts of section IV concerning the environmental burden of illness and the environmental conditions for well-being. Section V reviews the status of indicators for environment, human health, the environmental burden of illness, and sustainability. The section ends with discussion of criteria for indicator suitability and selection. The final section presents recommendations ranging from the assessment of particular environmental burdens to the identification of appropriate human health and well-being indicators relevant to ecosystems or environments.

Genre: Science / Life Sciences / Ecology (fancy, right?)