2. Bio-eco Engineering
• is the use of engineering solutions,
which improves traditional structures
using natural resources to increase the
structure functionality, or the use of
natural materials (flora and fauna) to
create structures.
3. Overview
• it emerged as a new idea in early 1960s,
but its definition has taken several
decades to refine, its implementation is
still undergoing adjustment, and its
broader recognition as a paradigm is
relevantly recent.
4. • Ecological engineering was introduced by
Howard Odum and others as utilizing
natural energy sources as the
predominant input to manipulate and
control environmental systems.
5. • Mitsch and Jorgensen wrote that
ecological engineering is designing
societal services such that they benefit
society and nature, and later noted the
design should be systems based,
sustainable, and integrate society with
its natural environment.
6. • Mitsch and Jørgensen were the first to
define ecological engineering and provide
ecological engineering principles. Later
they refined the definition and increased
the number of principles. They defined
and characterized ecological engineering
in a 1989 book and clarified it further in
their 2004 book.
7. • They suggest the goal of bio-eco
engineering is:
the restoration of ecosystems that
have been substantially disturbed by
human activities such as environmental
pollution or land disturbance, and
8. the development of new sustainable
ecosystems that have both human and
ecological values.
• They summarized the five concepts key to
ecological engineering as:
it is based on the self-designing capacity of
ecosystems,
9. it can be a field test of ecological theory,
it relies on integrated system approaches,
it conserves non-renewable energy, and
it supports biological conservation.
• Bergen et al. defined ecological engineering
as:
utilizing ecological science and theory,
10. applying to all types of ecosystems,
adapting engineering design methods, and
acknowledging a guiding value system.
• Barrett (1999) offers a more literal
definition of the term: "the design,
construction, operation and management
(that is, engineering)
11. of landscape/aquatic structures and
associated plant and animal communities (that
is, ecosystems) to benefit humanity and,
often, nature."
• Barrett continues: "other terms with
equivalent or similar meanings include
ecotechnology and two terms most often
12. used in the erosion control field: soil
bioengineering and biotechnical engineering.
• However, Eco engineering should not be
confused with 'biotechnology' when
describing genetic engineering at the cellular
level, or 'bioengineering' meaning construction
of artificial body parts.
13. • “This engineering discipline combines basic
and applied science from engineering, ecology,
economics, and natural sciences for the
restoration and construction of aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems.
14. • The field of ecological engineering is
increasing in breadth and depth as more
opportunities to design and use ecosystems as
interfaces between technology and
environment are explored.
15. Design Guidelines
• Ecological engineering design will follow a
cycle similar to engineering design problem
formulation (goal), problem analysis
(constraints), alternative solutions search,
decision among alternatives, and specification
of a complete solution.
16. • Elements that distinguish ecological
engineering design are elaborated by many
authors, however a singular approach is still
absent.
• Typically, the design goal involves protecting
an at-risk ecosystem, restoring a degraded
ecosystem,
17. or creating a new sustainable ecosystem to
satisfy needs of nature and society.
• A temporal framework is provided by Matlock
et al., stating the design solutions are
considered in ecological time. In selecting
between alternatives,
18. the design should incorporate ecological
economics in design evaluation, the
design should incorporate ecological
economics in design evaluation and
acknowledge a guiding value system
which promotes biological conservation.
applying to all types of ecosystems,
19. adapting engineering design methods, and
Design steps should be based on utilizing
ecological science and theory,
the self-designing capacity of ecosystems;
accept the adaptive management theory of
learning from mistakes as the design will
field test ecological theory;
