Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science
Complex systems science has contributed to our understanding of ecology in important areas such as food webs, patch dynamics and population fluctuations. This has been achieved through the use of simple measures that can capture the difference between order and disorder and simple models with local...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2010-03-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/2/3/395/ |
| _version_ | 1817992129292533760 |
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| author | Lael Parrott Jurek Kolasa Frédéric Guichard Andrew Gonzalez Madhur Anand |
| author_facet | Lael Parrott Jurek Kolasa Frédéric Guichard Andrew Gonzalez Madhur Anand |
| author_sort | Lael Parrott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Complex systems science has contributed to our understanding of ecology in important areas such as food webs, patch dynamics and population fluctuations. This has been achieved through the use of simple measures that can capture the difference between order and disorder and simple models with local interactions that can generate surprising behaviour at larger scales. However, close examination reveals that commonly applied definitions of complexity fail to accommodate some key features of ecological systems, a fact that will limit the contribution of complex systems science to ecology. We highlight these features of ecological complexity—such as diversity, cross-scale interactions, memory and environmental variability—that continue to challenge classical complex systems science. Further advances in these areas will be necessary before complex systems science can be widely applied to understand the dynamics of ecological systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:22:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c7dbec57e9e42368f0fe46ccc68b256 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:22:22Z |
| publishDate | 2010-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c7dbec57e9e42368f0fe46ccc68b2562022-12-22T02:20:35ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182010-03-012339541010.3390/d2030395Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging ScienceLael ParrottJurek KolasaFrédéric GuichardAndrew GonzalezMadhur AnandComplex systems science has contributed to our understanding of ecology in important areas such as food webs, patch dynamics and population fluctuations. This has been achieved through the use of simple measures that can capture the difference between order and disorder and simple models with local interactions that can generate surprising behaviour at larger scales. However, close examination reveals that commonly applied definitions of complexity fail to accommodate some key features of ecological systems, a fact that will limit the contribution of complex systems science to ecology. We highlight these features of ecological complexity—such as diversity, cross-scale interactions, memory and environmental variability—that continue to challenge classical complex systems science. Further advances in these areas will be necessary before complex systems science can be widely applied to understand the dynamics of ecological systems.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/2/3/395/complex systems scienceecological indicatorsenvironmental variabilitymodel |
| spellingShingle | Lael Parrott Jurek Kolasa Frédéric Guichard Andrew Gonzalez Madhur Anand Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science Diversity complex systems science ecological indicators environmental variability model |
| title | Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science |
| title_full | Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science |
| title_fullStr | Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science |
| title_short | Ecological Systems as Complex Systems: Challenges for an Emerging Science |
| title_sort | ecological systems as complex systems challenges for an emerging science |
| topic | complex systems science ecological indicators environmental variability model |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/2/3/395/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laelparrott ecologicalsystemsascomplexsystemschallengesforanemergingscience AT jurekkolasa ecologicalsystemsascomplexsystemschallengesforanemergingscience AT fredericguichard ecologicalsystemsascomplexsystemschallengesforanemergingscience AT andrewgonzalez ecologicalsystemsascomplexsystemschallengesforanemergingscience AT madhuranand ecologicalsystemsascomplexsystemschallengesforanemergingscience |