Ecological Research

The Ecological Worldview

One type of ecological research embodies a particular worldview, also described as research from an ecological perspective. The worldview is nonreductionist, refusing to separate the focus of inquiry from its context, and is concerned with the way in which the object or event is embedded in and reciprocally related with natural and social environments. Researchers value all living things and consider humans to be only one part of the large integrated web of life.

This type of ecological research seeks to understand complexity and the emergent nature of knowledge and how this relates to the well-being of future generations. The research is driven by the belief that humans can learn from the study of ecosystems that are sustainable communities of plants, animals, and small organisms. The promise is that by understanding the principles of organization of ecological communities, humans can revitalize their social and cultural communities based on ecological principles. The basic principles of ecology are both descriptive and normative. First, interdependence suggests the mutual reliance of all living things on [Page 238]each other through nonlinear networks of feedback and cycles. Second, cycles are the essential nature of ecological processes. Third, interdependencies are marked by cooperation, partnership, and co-evolution—processes of change and learning. Fourth, flexibility enables a system to adapt to change and maintain itself. Fifth, diversity within a system enables resilience through a complex network that adapts to change more easily.

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