A Hierarchical Concept of Ecosystems. (MPB-23), Volume 23

Robert V. O'Neill; Donald Lee Deangelis; J. B. Waide; Timothy F.H. Allen

Published by Princeton University Press 1987

A Hierarchical Concept of Ecosystems. (MPB-23), Volume 23

Robert V. O'Neill , Donald Lee Deangelis , J. B. Waide and Timothy F.H. Allen

Volume 23 in the series Monographs in Population Biology

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691236605

Overview
Contents

About this book

"Ecosystem" is an intuitively appealing concept to most ecologists, but, in spite of its widespread use, the term remains diffuse and ambiguous. The authors of this book argue that previous attempts to define the concept have been derived from particular viewpoints to the exclusion of others equally possible. They offer instead a more general line of thought based on hierarchy theory. Their contribution should help to counteract the present separation of subdisciplines in ecology and to bring functional and population/community ecologists closer to a common approach.

Developed as a way of understanding highly complex organized systems, hierarchy theory has at its center the idea that organization results from differences in process rates. To the authors the theory suggests an objective way of decomposing ecosystems into their component parts. The results thus obtained offer a rewarding method for integrating various schools of ecology.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Part I The Concept of an Ecosystem
CHAPTER 1 Fundamental Ambiguities in the Ecosystem Concept Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
CHAPTER 2 A Historical Perspective on How Ecologists Have Viewed Ecosystems Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	20
Part II Preliminary Considerations
CHAPTER 3 The Ecosystem as a System Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	37
CHAPTER 4 The Concept of Hierarchy and Its Typical Application Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
Part III A Proposal for a Theory
CHAPTER 5 Some Elements of Hierarchy Theory Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	75
CHAPTER 6 Hierarchical Structure as the Consequence of Evolution in Open, Dissipative Systems Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	101
Part IV Applications of the Theory to Ecological Systems
CHAPTER 7 Ecosystems as Hierarchies of Species Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	125
CHAPTER 8 Ecosystems as Hierarchies of Processes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
CHAPTER 9 Ecosystems as Dual Hierarchies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	186
Literature Cited Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
Author Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247
Subject Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	251