Editorial: Introducing the special issue on Ecological indicators at multiple scales

The quality of human life depends on diverse natural resources and healthy ecosystems. Such resources exist and interact at multiple scales within spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems are those with the capability to maintain some degree of biophysical integrity while supplying man with valuable services (Rapport, 1995). However, activities associated with expanding human populations and activities alter these complex ecosystems and thereby threaten their sustainability and the resources and services (e.g., food, fibre, waste processing, wildlife habitat, fuel, aesthetic qualities, and recreational opportunities) that they provide. Monitoring ecosystem status and trends is critical for assessing environmental security (Petrosillo et al., 2007), through the detection of alterations that can impact the integrity of ecosystems and impede their capacity to provide valuable resources and services into the future.