What is a Valued Ecosystem Component (VEC)?
Because much of the critical habitat in South Florida’s estuaries is biotic (grass beds, oyster reefs, mangroves), management strategies to enhance or sustain the biotic integrity of estuaries have focused on providing a suitable environment for such dominant, habitat forming communities. These species have been identified as valued ecosystem components (VEC) and constitute the specific biotic resources for which an estuary is managed. The implied link between biotic integrity and VEC is that managing for VEC will sustain the biotic integrity of the whole system.
