The application of ecological principles to the solution of human problems and the maintenance of a quality life. It is assumed that humans are an integral part of ecological systems and that they depend upon healthy, well-operating, and productive systems for their continued well-being. For these reasons, applied ecology is based on a knowledge of ecosystems and populations, and the principles and techniques of ecology are used to interpret and solve specific environmental problems and to plan new management systems in the biosphere. Although a variety of management fields, such as forestry, agriculture, wildlife management, environmental engineering, and environmental design, are concerned with specific parts of the environment, applied ecology is unique in taking a view of whole systems, and attempting to account for all inputs to and outputs from the systems—and all impacts. In the past, applied ecology has been considered as being synonymous with the above applied sciences.
The objective of applied ecology management is to maintain the system while altering its inputs or outputs. Often, ecology management is designed to maximize a particular output or the quantity of a specific component. Since outputs and inputs are related, maximization of an output may not be desirable; rather, the management objective may be the optimum level. Optimization of systems can be accomplished through the use of systems ecology methods which consider all parts of the system rather than a specific set of components. In this way, a series of strategies or scenarios can be evaluated, and the strategy producing the largest gain for the least cost can be chosen for implementation.
A variety of general environmental problems within the scope of applied ecology relate to the major components of the Earth: the atmosphere, water, land, and the biota. Applied ecology also is concerned with the size of the human population, since many of the impacts of human activities on the environment are a function of the number and concentration of people. See also Ecology; Ecosystem; Human ecology; Systems ecology.
