Integration of Ecosystem Theories: A Pattern
Published on 18. October 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
383 pages
978-94-010-5187-3 (ISBN)
Description
Ecosystems are still a puzzle for mankind. We would like to be able to know their reactions and control them, but repeatedly we have been surprised by their unexpected reactions to our somewhat hasty actions. We unfortunately have to admit that our present knowledge about ecosystems and their true nature is rather limited. Many excellent contributions to a more profound understanding of ecosystems have been launched during the last two decades, but if you do not know the field, it looks as if all the presented ecosystem theories are in complete discord with each other. However, ecosystems are extremely complex and only a pluralistic view will be able to reveal their basic properties. The different approaches therefore have much in common, when you go deeper into the core material, than the first superficial more glance will be able to tell and there is therefore a natural need for a unification of the various approaches to ecosystem theories. It has for many years been my desire to attempt to make a unification of the many excellent thoughts, ideas and observations about ecosystems, that scientists have contributed. These thoughts, ideas and hypotheses have not been made in vain.
More details
Series
Edition
Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1992
Language
English
Place of publication
Dordrecht
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Research
Illustrations
383 p.
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
618 gr
ISBN-13
978-94-010-5187-3 (9789401051873)
DOI
10.1007/978-94-011-2682-3
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/1992
Kluwer Academic Publishers
€96.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Content
1. Introduction: Recent Trends in Science.- 1.1. How Did It start?.- 1.2. Physics versus Ecology.- 1.3. Ecology and Physics.- 1.4. Recent Trends in Science.- 1.5. The Ecosystem as Object of Research.- 2. Do We Need a New, Holistic Ecology?.- 2.1. Two Ecologies.- 2.2. Complexity of Ecosystems.- 2.3. Ecology and Quantum Theory.- 2.4. Holism versus Reductionism.- 3. Models in Ecology.- 3.1. Modelling in Ecology.- 3.2. Modelling Elements.- 3.3. The Modelling Procedure.- 3.4. Types of Models.- 3.5. Complexity of Models.- 3.6. Modelling Constraints.- 3.7. Application of Models as Scientific, Experimental Tools.- 4. Energy and Ecology.- 4.1. Conservation of Energy and Matter.- 4.2. Energy Flows in Ecosystems.- 4.3. The Maximum Power Principle.- 4.4. Embodied Energy/Emergy.- 5. Entropy and Ecology.- 5.1. The Second Law of Thermodynamics Applied to Ecosystems.- 5.2. Information and Entropy.- 5.3. Ecosystems Generate Entropy.- 5.4. Ecosystems are Non-isolated Systems.- 5.5. Energy Sources and Sinks establish Order.- 5.6. Self-organization.- 5.7. The Maximum Entropy or Maximum Energy Dissipation Theory.- 6. Exergy and Ecology.- 6.1. The Application of Exergy in Ecological Thermodynamics.- 6.2. Exergy and Information.- 6.3. Application of Exergy in Ecosystem Theory.- 6.4. Exergy and Modelling.- 6.5. The Fourth or Ecological Law of Thermodynamics.- 7. Network and Hierarchical Concepts of Ecosystems.- 7.1. Networks in Ecology.- 7.2. Network Concepts.- 7.3. Hierarchical Theory of Ecosystems.- 7.4. Network Thermodynamics.- 8. Utility Theory, Indirect Effect and Ascendency.- 8.1. Toward a Wider Application of Network Theory.- 8.2. Energy Transfer and Utilization Coefficients in Networks.- 8.3. The Indirect Effects in Networks.- 8.4. Ascendency.- 9. Catastrophe Theory and Ecology.- 9.1.What Is Applied Catastrophe Theory?.- 9.2. Application of Catastrophe Theory to Explain Shifts in Oxygen Concentration as Function of Time in a Stream.- 9.3. Application of Catastrophe Theory on a Lake Ecosystem.- 9.4. General Application of Catastrophe Theory in Ecology.- 9.5. Ecosystems and Catastrophe Theory.- 10. Chaos, Fractals and Ecology.- 10.1. Introduction and Definitions.- 10.2. Bifurcation and Fractal Dimension.- 10.3. Ecological Implications.- 10.4. Parameter Estimations and Chaos.- 11. Dynamic of Ecosystems.- 11.1. Ecosystem Properties.- 11.2. Modelling Structural Dynamics.- 11.3. Constraints on Ecological Parameters.- 11.4. Application of Exergy as Goal Function in Ecological Modelling.- 11.5. Structural Dynamic Models of Ecosystems.- 11.6. Structural Dynamic Models in Population Dynamics.- 12. A Tentative Pattern of Ecosystem Theories.- 12.1. Presentation of a Pattern.- 12.2. A Central Law of Ecosystem Theories.- 12.3. The Relation to Other Theories.- 12.4. Tools: Networks and Models.- 12.5. Ecosystem Properties.- 12.6. The Application of ELT in Specific Cases.- 13. Epilogue.- 14. Appendix 1. Definitions of Concepts.- 15. References.