A New Ecology

, by Jørgensen; Fath; Bastianoni; Marques; Muller; Nielsen; Patten; Tiezzi; Ulanowicz

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ISBN: 9780444531605 | 0444531602
Cover: Hardcover
Copyright: 7/19/2007

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A new ecological approach, embedded in the principles of ecosystem dynamics, is needed to attend to our present environmental concerns. This book presents a coherent ecosystem theory that addresses the following questions: How does novelty arise in ecosystems? What is the impact and importance of interconnectedness for behavior and development of ecosystems? Are certain directions preferred during ecosystem development? If so, then how? Are there general pathways that ecosystems follow during their dynamics? How do ecosystems reorganize in response to disturbances?

Preface	p. ix
Introduction: A New Ecology is Needed	p. 1
Environmental management has changed	p. 1
Ecology is changing	p. 2
Book outline	p. 3
Ecosystems have Openness (Thermodynamic)	p. 7
Why must ecosystems be open?	p. 7
An isolated system would die (maximum entropy)	p. 8
Physical openness	p. 13
The second law of thermodynamics interpreted for open systems	p. 18
Dissipative structure	p. 20
Quantification of openness and allometric principles	p. 22
The cell	p. 30
What about the environment?	p. 31
Conclusion	p. 32
Ecosystems have Ontic Openness	p. 35
Introduction	p. 35
Why is ontic openness so obscure?	p. 36
Ontic openness and the physical world	p. 39
Ontic openness and relative stability	p. 49
The macroscopic openness: Connections to thermodynamics	p. 50
Ontic openness and emergence	p. 53
Ontic openness and hierarchies	p. 55
Consequences of ontic openness: a tentative conclusion	p. 56
Ecosystems have Directionality	p. 59
Since the beginnings of ecology	p. 59
The challenge from thermodynamics	p. 60
Deconstructing directionality?	p. 62
Agencies imparting directionality	p. 63
Origins of evolutionary drive	p. 66
Quantifying directionality in ecosystems	p. 68
Demystifying Darwin	p. 74
Directionality in evolution?	p. 76
Summary	p. 77
Ecosystems have Connectivity	p. 79
Introduction	p. 79
Ecosystems as networks	p. 80
Food webs	p. 82
Systems analysis	p. 84
Ecosystem connectivity and ecological network analysis	p. 86
Network environ analysis primer	p. 86
Summary of the major insights cardinal hypotheses (CH) from network environ analysis	p. 92
Conclusions	p. 101
Ecosystems have Complex Dynamics (Growth and Development)	p. 103
Variability in life conditions	p. 103
Ecosystem development	p. 105
Orientors and succession theories	p. 112
The maximum power principle	p. 115
Exergy, ascendency, gradients, and ecosystem development	p. 120
Support for the presented hypotheses	p. 125
Toward a consistent ecosystem theory	p. 133
Exergy balances for the utilization of solar radiation	p. 139
Summary and conclusions	p. 141
Ecosystems have Complex Dynamics - Disturbance and Decay	p. 143
The normality of disturbance	p. 143
The risk of orientor optimization	p. 151
The characteristics of disturbance	p. 152
Adaptability as a key function of ecosystem dynamics	p. 156
Adaptive cycles on multiple scales	p. 160
A case study: Human disturbance and retrogressive dynamics	p. 164
Summary and conclusions	p. 166
Ecosystem Principles have Broad Explanatory Power in Ecology	p. 167
Introduction	p. 167
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Evolutionary theory	p. 168
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Island biogeography	p. 176
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Latitudinal gradients in biodiversity	p. 180
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Optimal foraging theory	p. 184
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Niche theory	p. 187
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Liebig's law of the minimum	p. 191
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: The river continuum concept (RCC)	p. 194
Do ecological principles encompass other proposed ecological theories?: Hysteresis in nature	p. 196
Conclusions	p. 198
Ecosystem Principles have Applications	p. 199
Introduction	p. 199
Entropy production as an indicator of ecosystem trophic state	p. 200
The use of ecological network analysis (ENA) for the simulation of the interaction of the american black bear and its environment	p. 206
Applications of network analysis and ascendency to South Florida ecosystems	p. 210
The application of eco-exergy as ecological indicator for assessment of ecosystem health	p. 218
Emergy as ecological indicator to assess ecosystem health	p. 221
The eco-exergy to empower ratio and the efficiency of ecosystems	p. 228
Application of eco-exergy and ascendency as ecological indicator to the Mondego Estuary (Portugal)	p. 231
Conclusions	p. 241
Conclusions and Final Remarks	p. 243
Are basic ecological properties needed to explain our observations?	p. 243
Previous attempts to present an ecosystem theory	p. 243
Recapitulation of the ecosystem theory	p. 245
Are there basic ecosystem principles?	p. 246
Conclusion	p. 248
References	p. 251
Index	p. 273
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