TABLE OF CONTENTS The characteristics of the human environment are intimately related to the nonhuman ecology that surrounds us. Problems that affect lower-level elements in the ecological system may ultimately affect humans. For example, the accumulation of pesticides and heavy metals in lower levels of the ecological system may be harbingers of dangerous levels of these materials in humans.
In addition, despite progress that we have made in providing for our needs, the total ecological balance of the environment is crucial to the viability of our species. For this reason, species diversity and balance must be maintained. Convincing evidence exists that species diversity in an ecosystem is closely related to the stability of that system, with increasing species diversity indicating an increased ability of the ecosystem to resist disturbance and stress. Evaluation of impacts on a given ecological system should include an assessment of the effect of proposed alterations of the environment on species diversity, based on existing information or on special field studies.
The attributes that have been identified to describe the ecology resource are
Large animals
Predatory birds
Small game
Fish, shellfish, and waterfowl
Field crops
Listed species
Natural land vegetation
Aquatic plants
Definition of the attribute. Large animals are those, both wild and domestic, that weigh more than about 50 lb when fully grown. Common wild animals falling into this category are deer, bear, elk, and moose. Domesticated animals of this size include horses, sheep, cattle, swine, and goats. Noise can...
