Motivation and benefits of complex systems approaches in ecology

被引:66
作者
Milne, BT [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ New Mexico, Dept Biol, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
关键词
complex systems; scaling; renormalization; level of organization; universality;
D O I
10.1007/s100219900040
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
Studies of complex systems in other disciplines provide models and analytical strategies for understanding ecosystems and landscapes. The emphasis is on invariant properties, particularly processes that create scaling relations over wide ranges of scale, both in time and space. Translations between levels of ecological organization may be accomplished by succinct characterizations of processes that operate at fine scales, followed by renormalization group analysis to reveal patterns at broad scales. The self-organized patterns found in simple ecosystem, landscape, and forest-fire models may be explained as feedback between the system state and control parameters. Critical phenomena and phase transitions are expected in open, dissipative systems where long-range correlations defy predictions based on average population densities, a concept that becomes irrelevant as nonstationary conditions prevail. Thus, complexity theory for open systems relates to the ecology of self-entailing ecosystems that function as their own environments and thereby create constraints through emergence.
引用
收藏
页码:449 / 456
页数:8
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