10 Assessing Stability Properties: How Suitable
is this Approach for Ecosystem Research in
the Wadden Sea?
Sabine Dittmann
Abstract: With stability properties as the conceptual framework to study processes in the Wadden Sea ecosystem, attention was focused on qualitative aspects.
The relationships between the approach of ELA W AT and historical developments
of ecosystem research and ecological concepts are briefly described. While the
realization of this approach was restricted by the dynamic nature of the system
under study and the limited duration of the project, a potential for future research
is seen in the consideration of the single criteria of the ecological checklist used.
Furthermore, quantitative and qualitative approaches should be combined in the
future to allow an integrated analysis of dynamic ecosystems like the Wadden Sea.
Introduction
The approach of the ecosystem research project ELA W AT taking stability properties as the conceptual framework for an ecosystem analysis was the first of its kind
(Chap. 2). Therefore we discuss the usefulness of this approach for ecosystem
analysis here at the end of the project. From the pilot studies (lax et al. 1993) over
the main phase (Dittmann et al. 1997) into the synthesis, this approach and the
underlying concepts and theories were discussed among the participants. This
chapter gives an overview on the (continuing) debate.
With its conceptual framework, ELA W AT tried to achieve an understanding of
ecological relations in the Wadden Sea ecosystem by analysing the reaction to
disturbances and by the specification of stability properties. The most important
step thereby was the identification of stability mechanisms, as the analysis of processes relevant for regeneration should result in recommendations for a protection
of processes (Chaps. 2, 8, 9 and 12).
The analysis of stability properties meant to direct the attention to qualitative
properties of the Wadden Sea ecosystem and followed in the tradition of qualitative research according to Reise (1995). The approach of ELA WAT was thus a
deviation from ecosystem approaches focussing on tropho-dynamics (Lindemann
1942), productivity and energy flow (Odum 1971) or exchange processes (Gatje &
Reise 1998). That is also why our definition for the Wadden Sea "ecosystem" was
based on the initial ecosystem definition by Tansley (1935) in the version of Likens (1992) (see Chap. 2). Unlike ecosystem approaches studying e.g. energy flow
and defining an ecosystem by functional relations, ELA WAT studied the properties of the system in a spatially defined area, a landscape unit.
is this Approach for Ecosystem Research in
the Wadden Sea?
Sabine Dittmann
Abstract: With stability properties as the conceptual framework to study processes in the Wadden Sea ecosystem, attention was focused on qualitative aspects.
The relationships between the approach of ELA W AT and historical developments
of ecosystem research and ecological concepts are briefly described. While the
realization of this approach was restricted by the dynamic nature of the system
under study and the limited duration of the project, a potential for future research
is seen in the consideration of the single criteria of the ecological checklist used.
Furthermore, quantitative and qualitative approaches should be combined in the
future to allow an integrated analysis of dynamic ecosystems like the Wadden Sea.
Introduction
The approach of the ecosystem research project ELA W AT taking stability properties as the conceptual framework for an ecosystem analysis was the first of its kind
(Chap. 2). Therefore we discuss the usefulness of this approach for ecosystem
analysis here at the end of the project. From the pilot studies (lax et al. 1993) over
the main phase (Dittmann et al. 1997) into the synthesis, this approach and the
underlying concepts and theories were discussed among the participants. This
chapter gives an overview on the (continuing) debate.
With its conceptual framework, ELA W AT tried to achieve an understanding of
ecological relations in the Wadden Sea ecosystem by analysing the reaction to
disturbances and by the specification of stability properties. The most important
step thereby was the identification of stability mechanisms, as the analysis of processes relevant for regeneration should result in recommendations for a protection
of processes (Chaps. 2, 8, 9 and 12).
The analysis of stability properties meant to direct the attention to qualitative
properties of the Wadden Sea ecosystem and followed in the tradition of qualitative research according to Reise (1995). The approach of ELA WAT was thus a
deviation from ecosystem approaches focussing on tropho-dynamics (Lindemann
1942), productivity and energy flow (Odum 1971) or exchange processes (Gatje &
Reise 1998). That is also why our definition for the Wadden Sea "ecosystem" was
based on the initial ecosystem definition by Tansley (1935) in the version of Likens (1992) (see Chap. 2). Unlike ecosystem approaches studying e.g. energy flow
and defining an ecosystem by functional relations, ELA WAT studied the properties of the system in a spatially defined area, a landscape unit.