Paul Risser, in his presidential address to the ESA (Risser 1986), proposed a simple framework for ecological literacy for the general public, suggesting that people should understand:

1. Multi-media transport of materials, for example (but not limited to) sources and sinks, bio-magnification and chemical transformations.

2. Just how "everything is connected to everything", i.e., understanding specific instances of connections and the relative strengths of interactions, so that individuals can build their own view of ecological interactivity, incrementally and inductively.

3. Ecology-culture interactions, including economics, application to managing natural resources and interactions between ecology and cultural heritage.

4. Familiar ecological field observations based on learning about a specific, local "spot" in nature, using this as a concrete example of ecological concepts, a site for action and a springboard for understanding and appreciating other "spots."

Risser, P.G. 1986. Ecological Literacy. Address of the Past President, Syracuse, NY; August 1986. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 67:264-270.