Elements of Upland Ecosystems

ELEMENTS OF UPLAND ECOSYSTEMS

by Antonio C. Antonio

December 15, 2014

There are three interdependent basic elements of upland ecosystems --- land, resources and resource environment.  In crafting effective upland management systems, these three factors will have to be considered since the behaviour of and properties of these elements within the upland ecosystem are largely influenced by the presence of biological, physical and social components.  These elements are:

LAND – Defined as the part of the earth’s surface that is not covered by water; as opposed to the air in the atmosphere and the water in the seas.  Land is the basic element of all resources… most resources (goods and services) are derived from land.

RESOURCES – Defined as a stock or supply of goods and services that can be drawn from the land.  These resources include timber, forage, water, wildlife, non-timber plant products, minerals, and other physical resources as well as non-tangible resources such as potentials for recreation and other amenities.  An inventory of these resources and identified land use alternatives is very critical in upland management planning.

RESOURCE ENVIRONMENT – This refers to the socio-bio-physical environment that characterizes and defines the conditions in the upland.  In upland management planning, it is important that the constraints and opportunities from these resource environments are also identified and considered as well as economic, social, political, technological, and biological/ecological environments.

To better understand condition in the upland, it is important to look in detail into the elements of upland ecosystems.

Just my little thoughts…

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