Among the most important aspects of integrity are the autopoietic (self-creative) capacities of life to organize, regenerate, reproduce, sustain, adapt, develop, and evolve over time at a specific location. Thus integrity defines the evolutionary and biogeographical processes of a system as well as its parts or elements at a specific location (Angermeier and Karr 1994). Another aspect, discussed by James Karr in relation to water and Reed Noss (1992) regarding terrestrial systems, is the question of what spatial requirements are needed to maintain native ecosystems. Climatic conditions and other biophysical phenomena constitute further systems of interacting and interdependent components that can be analyzed as an open hierarchy of systems. Every organism comprises a system of organic subsystems and interacts with other organisms and abiotic elements to constitute larger ecological systems of progressively wider scope up to the biosphere.
Ecological Integrity and Science
Finally ecological integrity is both "valued and valuable as it bridges the concerns of science and public policy" (Westra et al. 2000, pp. 20–22). For example, in response to the deteriorating condition of our fresh-waters, the CWA has its objective: "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters" (sec.
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