State-of-the-art in ecosystem theory

This paper attempts to characterize the development, the recent state, and some future problems of ecosystem theory. As a fundamental for the evaluation of the discipline's potentials and limitations, the general tasks and features of theories are discussed in the introduction part of the text. These characteristics from the philosophy of science are applied to ecosystem theory, and on that basis the general objective of the text is defined: Does ecosystem theory cope with the general tasks of theories? What are the potentials and where are the problems? To find an answer to these questions, the different scientific roots of ecosystem theories are briefly presented, whereby a focus is put on systems analytical sources, such as cybernetics, control theory, information theory, network theory, thermodynamics, the theory of self-organization and emergence, and hierarchy theory. After these approaches have been characterized, some unifying and integrating concepts are proposed. Finally, the present problems and the future tasks of ecosystem theory are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.