Are Ecosystems Dynamical Systems?

Title data

Lange, Holger:
Are Ecosystems Dynamical Systems?
In: International Journal of Computing Anticipatory System. Vol. 3 (1999) . - pp. 169-186.

Abstract in another language

The paradigm of dynamical systems as frame of description has been extremely successful for a variety of controlled systems. The ingredients of such an approach are an (assumed or known) fixed number of degrees of freedom, a phase space, state variables, and a (usually differential) equation of motion governing the temporal evolution of the system, or its movement in phase space along certain trajectories. Our focus of investigation are forest ecosystems. We will argue that they constitute a kind of system which does not belong to this class. The presence of memory effects and evolutionary processes demonstrate that the local history of these systems, embedded in an environment which is also partially created by them, is of utmost inportance. There is no phase space for these systems. We therefore conjecture to characterize the system by its input-output mapping, considering it as a filter. Properties of this filter are quantified by time series analysis tools, identifying relevant time scales, correlations, periodicities, recurrences and other temporal structures. We show examples from hydrology and solution chemistry.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Additional notes:	BAYCEER7312
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Chair Ecological Modelling Research Institutions > Research Centres > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences Research Institutions Research Institutions > Research Centres
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science
Date Deposited:	09 Oct 2015 05:56
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2015 05:56
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/20302