Essentials of Ecology

CONCEPT 1-6 23

Studying Nature Reveals

Four Scientific Principles

of Sustainability

How can we live more sustainably? According to envi-

ronmental scientists, we should study how life on the

earth has survived and adapted to major changes in en-

vironmental conditions for billions of years. We could

1-6 What Are Four Scientific Principles

of Sustainability?

CONCEPT 1-6 Nature has sustained itself for billions of years by using solar

energy, biodiversity, population control, and nutrient cycling—lessons from nature

that we can apply to our lifestyles and economies.

▲

Reliance on

Solar Energy

Biodiversity

Nutrient Cycling Population Control

Figure 1-17 Four scientific principles of sustainability: These four interconnected principles of sustainability

are derived from learning how nature has sustained a variety of life forms on the earth for about 3.56 billion years.

The top left oval shows sunlight stimulating the production of vegetation in the arctic tundra during its brief sum-

mer (solar energy) and the top right oval shows some of the diversity of species found there during the summer

(biodiversity). The bottom right oval shows arctic gray wolves stalking a caribou during the long cold winter ( popu-

lation control ). The bottom left oval shows arctic gray wolves feeding on their kill. This, plus huge numbers of tiny

decomposers that convert dead matter to soil nutrients, recycle all materials needed to support the plant growth

shown in the top left and right ovals (nutrient cycling).

make the transition to more sustainable societies by

applying these lessons from nature to our lifestyles and

economies, as summarized below and in Figure 1-17

(Concept 1-6).

• Reliance on Solar Energy: the sun (solar capital)
  warms the planet and supports photosynthesis
  used by plants to provide food for themselves and
  for us and most other animals.