The Role of Biodiversity in the Functioning of Ecosystems: Paper 1. General Principles of Monitoring Ecosystems

Abstract

Ecosystem change is an everyday reality, and assessment of its ability to provide men with products and services of the ecosystem (fresh water, climate, soil fertility, etc.), which are necessary for human welfare, is an urgent applied issue. The question as to “whether changes in the loss of biological diversity will affect the functioning of local ecosystems” is attracting increasing attention. In this first paper, we consider modern approaches to ecosystem monitoring. The concept of historical and novel ecosystems, ecosystem resilience, threshold effects, theory-driven restoration, and social–ecological considerations are reviewed. The principles of indication, requirements for indicators, possibilities, and prospects for the use of small mammals as indicators of the dynamics of local ecosystems are considered.