For each of the following concepts provide a definition, a complete Essay

For each of the following concepts provide a definition, a complete explanation as to their significance, and a practical example. How are the paired concepts similar How are they different - Essay Example A general idea about the various important ecological issues become apparent in a profound analysis of some of the paired concepts such as Riparian vs. prior appropriation water rights, optimal instream flow vs. optimal reserve site selection, import dependency ratio vs. recycling ratio, maximum sustainable yield vs. minimum viable population, and sustainable vs. conventional agriculture. To define the concept of Riparian water rights, it refers to the system of distributing water among various people who own the land a propos the source of water and this water right has originated from the English common law. In various countries with a common law heritage to the English common law, Riparian rights are used as the major system of allocating water among the owners of the land about its source, and these countries include Canada, Australia, and states in the eastern United States. Thus, the Riparian rights are based on English common law principles and they are mainly used in humid east of the United States. At its acquisition dimension, the Riparian rights make the water available to riparian landowners who are adjacent to water and it is normally limited to land within a watershed. As against Riparian water rights, prior appropriation water rights, or the Colorado Doctrine, refers to the system of allocating water rights from a water source based on the principles o f Jeffersonian democracy and these rights distinctly differ from Riparian rights. According to prior appropriation water rights, the appropriation doctrine is developed in order to meet the scarcity of water in the particular area and these rights are used mainly in the western United States. Although the provisions in this water right vary from state to state, it generally maintains that water rights do not have any connection to land ownership and it gives provisions to sell or mortgage water in the vein of other properties of individuals. Optimal instream flow vs. optimal reserve site selection Optimal instream flow refers to the amount of water to be left in the stream and it has a significant relationship to optimal site selection. In an analysis of optimal instream flow vs. optimal reserve site selection, it becomes lucid that there is an increasing demand for instream flow protection from the ecological, aesthetic, and recreational perspectives and the legal status of instream flow protection varies from state to state. To define an instream flow, it refers to the quantity of water that emerges within a stream channel at a particular locality during a specific period and the economists would incorporate instream water rights within the water rights markets. The optimal stream flows mainly indicate how much water should be left in the stream based on the various questions such as social efficiency. Import dependency ratio vs. recycling ratio Similarly, there is a close relationship between import dependency ratio and recycling ratio and the similarity and the difference between these two concepts gain significance in an analysis of the