An ecosystem-based understanding and analysis for SENCE toward sustainable development

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Cheng, Sheng-tong | Hou, Ji-xiong | Jia, Hai-feng

Affiliations: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. E-mail: houjixiong@263. net

Note: [] Corresponding author

Abstract: There is a need to find a comprehensive approach focusing on the conflicts between economical growth and environmental protection.Chinese scholars advocate a comprehensive ecosystem viewpoint named social-economic-natural complex ecosystem(SENCE). The kernel of the concept lies in the hierarchical structure of SENCE, through which methods from ecological network can be useful to the compound system. The author gives a schema depicting its structure, following a model analysis to help understand the reliance of economy on ecosystem. It is obvious that more actions should be done to strive for sustainable development.

Keywords: social-economic-natural complex ecosystem (SENCE), ecosystem model, sustainable development

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 328-332, 2001