The more political term ecological wisdom refers not only to recognition of a level of health, integrity or potential damage, but also, to a decision to do nothing (more) to harm that ecosystem or its dependents.
However, there are a few universal symptoms of poor health or damage to system integrity: Some practices such as organic farming, sustainable forestry, natural landscaping, wild gardening or precision agriculture, sometimes combined into sustainable agriculture, are thought to improve or at least not to degrade ecological health, while still keeping land usable for human purposes.
Ecotage is another tactic thought to be effective by some in protecting the health of ecosystems, but this is hotly disputed.
In general, low confrontation and much attention to political virtues is thought to be important to maintaining ecological health, as it is far faster and simpler to destroy an ecosystem than protect it—thus wars[clarification needed] on behalf of ecosystem integrity may simply lead to more rapid despoliation and loss due to competition.
Deforestation and the habitat destruction of deep-sea coral reef are two issues that prompt deep investigation of what makes for ecological health, and fuels a great many debates.