Biological Integrity

Deutsch: Biologische Integrität / Español: Integridad Biológica / Português: Integridade Biológica / Français: Intégrité Biologique / Italiano: Integrità Biologica /

A Biological Integrity is the ability to support and maintain balanced, integrated, functionality in the natural habitat of a given region.

Concept is applied primarily in drinking water management.

Other /More definition:
A Biological Integrity is the ability of an aquatic ecosystem to support and maintain a balanced, adaptive Community of organisms having a species composition, diversity, and functional organization comparable to that of natural habitats within a region.

Other /More definition:
biological integrity is the condition of the aquatic Community inhabiting unimpaired waterbodies of a specified habitat as measured by an evaluation of multiple attributes of the aquatic biota. Three critical components of biological integrity are that the biota is (1) the product of the evolutionary process for that locality, or site, (2) inclusive of a broad range of biological and ecological characteristics such as taxonomic richness and composition, trophic structure, and (3) is found in the study biogeographic region.

Other /More definition:
A Biological Integrity is "...the ability of an aquatic ecosystem to support and maintain a balanced, adaptive Community of organisms having a species composition, diversity, and functional organization comparable to that of natural habitats within a region." (Karr, J. R. and D. R. Dudley. 1981. Ecological perspective on water quality goals. Environmental Management 5:55-68)

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