| Characteristic | Natural aquatic ecosystems | Artificial aquatic ecosystems |
| Number of species | Many | Few |
| Genetic diversity | High | Low |
| Ecological succession | Present, takes place over time | Absent |
| Ecological sustainability | Sustainable | Un-sustainable |
| Productivity | Extremely variable | Designed for high productivity |
| Nutrient cycling | Natural | Incomplete |
| Natural resource extraction | Low | High |
| Food chains | Long and complex | Simple and often incomplete |
| Nature of habitat | Heterogeneous | Homogeneous |
| Nature of landscape | Heterogeneous | Homogeneous |
| Use of herbicides, pesticides and insecticides | Low | Heavy |
| Importation of non-solar energy | Small | Large |
| Importation of nutrient supplements | Small | Large |
| Soil characteristics | Divergent | Convergent |
| Hydrological cycles | Natural | Modified |
| Biotic and physical disturbance regimes | Normal | Reduced |
| Mobility of people, goods and services | Local | Global |
| Species diversity | High | Low |
| Production | Low | High |
| Productivity | Medium | Low/medium |
| Diversity | High | Low |
| Human displacement of ecological processes | Low | High |
| Reliance on external human inputs | Low | High |
| Autonomy | High | Low |
| Sustainability | High | Low |
| Output stability | Medium | High |
| Flexibility | High | Low |
| Resilience | High | Low |
| Potentiality as outdoor classrooms | Provide outdoor classrooms for the study of biology and ecology | Have little to offer in the way of educational opportunities |
| Landscape diversity | Diverse landscapes retain the sense of place that sustains language and cultural differences | Monotonous landscape incapable of stimulating diversity of thought, language or creativity |
| Spiritual value | Spiritual value associated with natural wilderness sustains self esteem of indigenous people | No spiritual value; potential to cause mental illness and increase risk of depression and suicide |
| Stimulus on artificial expression | Stimulate artificial expression through painting and poetry etc. | Have very little potential for stirring the human soul |