Integration of Ecosystem Theories: A Pattern

The book presents an integration of existing ecosystem theories in such a comprehensive way as to enable a full ecological and theoretical pattern to be presented. It shows that ecosystems and their reactions may be understood, provided that all basic systems ecology is applied to different aspects of the properties of ecosystems. Since the publication of the previous two editions of this book, ongoing research and discussions on an international scale have greatly clarified and enhanced this pattern. This progress is presented as Chapter 16 in this new, third edition. It is shown that the integrated ecosystem theory presented can be applied to explain various ecological observations and rules. Audience: Researchers and decision makers whose work involves the study of ecosystems and ecology. This book is also recommended for use in graduate courses.

Prof. Sven Erik Jørgensen is one of the two distinguished ecologists to receive the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize for Outstanding Contributions for the World's Lakes and Wetlands, "for their pioneering development and global dissemination of ecological models of lakes and wetlands, widely applied as effective tools in sustainable water resource management". The full text of the release plus photos and background can be found at http: www.siwi.org or http://www.siwi.org/press/presrel_04_SWP_Winner_Eng.htm

Prefaces. 1. Introduction: Recent Trends in Science. 2. Do We Need a New, Holistic Ecology? 3. Models in Ecology. 4. Energy and Ecology. Entropy and Ecology. 6. Exergy and Ecology. 7. Network and Hierarchical Concepts of Ecosystems. 8. Utility Theory, Indirect Effect and Ascendency. 9. Catasrophe Theory and Ecology. 10. Chaos, Fractals and Ecology. 11. Ecosystem Health. 12. Development of Ecosystems. 13. Dynamic of Ecosystems. 14. Goal Functions. 15. Tentative Pattern of Ecosystem Theories. 16. Epilogue. 17. Appendix Definitions of Concepts. 18. References. Index.