The concept of "ecological compensation" is a rather new approach in nature conservation and landscape protection. lnstead of focussing on minimizing the steady losses in natural resources, ecological compensation intends to enhance biodiversity in intensely cultivated or heavily populated areas. While the overall goals of ecological compensation are generally accepted, the interpretation of the term itself is not: According to a more scientific definition, ecological compensation is the result of material exchange of organisms and vital resources such as clean water-and air between "ecological compensation areas" and intensely cultivated, industrial or urban areas. Federal agencies and conservation experts, however, have adopted a more political view: ecological compensation is a form of reparation for the losses in biodiversity created by human overuse of natural ressources. The practical consequences of the two interpretations are discussed, as weil as their common goals.