EXPLORING THE BASIC ECOLOGICAL UNIT - ECOSYSTEM-LIKE CONCEPTS IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES

Ancient conceptualizations of ecosystems exist in several Amerindian, Asia-Pacific, European, and African cultures. The rediscovery by scien tists of ecosystem-like concepts among traditional peoples has been im portant in the appreciation of traditional ecological knowledge among ecologists, anthropologists, and interdisciplinary scholars. Two key c haracteristics of these systems are that (a) the unit of nature is oft en defined in terms of a geographical boundary, such as a watershed, a nd (b) abiotic components, plants, animals, and humans within this uni t are considered to be interlinked. Many traditional ecological knowle dge systems are compatible with the emerging view of ecosystems as unp redictable and uncontrollable, and of ecosystem processes as nonlinear , multiequilibrium, and full of surprises. Traditional knowledge may c omplement scientific knowledge by providing practical experience in li ving within ecosystems and responding to ecosystem change. However, th e ''language'' of traditional ecology is different from the scientific and usually includes metaphorical imagery and spiritual expression, s ignifying differences in context, motive, and conceptual underpinnings .