The essence of an ecosystem is that all things are interconnected. Understanding ecosystems, therefore leads us to understanding relationships. Understanding relationships is not easy for us, because it runs counter to the traditional scientific enterprise in Western culture. In science, we have been taught to measure and weigh things. But relationships cannot be measured and weighed; they need to be mapped. Adopting ecology rather than physics as the central model of scientific enquiry leads to a different view of the world. Instead of breaking things down to examine their most minute parts, we can study how these parts work together as a whole. In fact the principles of ecology can be seen as the principles of community. Fritjof Capra