The use of terms such as “health,” “integrity,” and “sustainability” as descriptors
of ecosystems implies that managers or scientists can identify the state that is optimum for the ecosystem (vs. optimum for the production of specific resources) and that the preservation of this state is scientifically justifiable. These terms are not supported by empirical evidence or ecological theory, and should be abandoned in favor of other
more explicit descriptors (Wicklum and Davies 1995). Appropriate goals and objectives should be identified on a site-specific basis and linked to ecosystem structures or functions that can be defined and quantified.