Kerr, Andrew J.  "Ethical Status of the Ecosystem in Whitehead's Philosophy."  Process Studies 24 (1995): 76-89.

Abstract

The paper attempts to explain the intuition that conscious experience of the biotic community evokes good character.  The paper seeks to describe a complementarity between the metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead, especially his notion of living societies, and ecological science.  This complementarity implies that ecological processes reveal moral norms, allowing for a normative redescription of these ecological processes.  Thus, ecological 'law' is likewise moral 'law'.  [Abstract from The Philosopher's Index]