Explanation of ecological rules and observation by application of ecosystem theory and ecological models

Four rules formulated in the ecological literature are explained by ecosystem theory, using models to represent the rules and the ecological interactions and processes. The rules are in all four cases in accordance with the principle that an ecosystem strives toward highest possible exergy at the prevailing conditions. The ecological literature should not publish just observations, correlations and rules should try in many cases to explain these observations, correlation and rules, because system ecology has provided a theoretical basis, which can be used to a much higher extent. Ecology does not need to remain a science based on empirical relationships, but is clearly to day a theoretical based science, which is able to explain the ecological observations by the application of basic laws. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.