Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Boxes
- Preface
- Prologue Environmental changes and ecosystem effects: two historical examples
- Section I History and concepts
- Chapter 1 History of ecology
- Chapter 2 Ecology, ecosystem and ecosystem science
- Chapter 3 Ecosystem ecology: cornerstones and scientific methodology
- Section II Ecosystem structure and function
- Section III Ecosystem dynamics at different time scales
- Section IV Applications
- Appendix 1 Abbreviations
- Appendix 2 Glossary
- Appendix 3 Some useful values and symbols used to represent them
- Appendix 4 Information and data on selected ecosystems
- References
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Chapter 2 - Ecology, ecosystem and ecosystem science
from Section I - History and concepts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Boxes
- Preface
- Prologue Environmental changes and ecosystem effects: two historical examples
- Section I History and concepts
- Chapter 1 History of ecology
- Chapter 2 Ecology, ecosystem and ecosystem science
- Chapter 3 Ecosystem ecology: cornerstones and scientific methodology
- Section II Ecosystem structure and function
- Section III Ecosystem dynamics at different time scales
- Section IV Applications
- Appendix 1 Abbreviations
- Appendix 2 Glossary
- Appendix 3 Some useful values and symbols used to represent them
- Appendix 4 Information and data on selected ecosystems
- References
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Ecology and ecosystems have many faces or directions. We explain the relations between different sub-disciplines. The scientific field dealing with structure, functions and dynamics of ecosystems is ecosystem ecology. The recent development of the field suggests that it should be considered as a discipline in its own right. A definition is given and its relation to other disciplines is discussed.
Ecology
In the historical account on the development of ecology we learnt about the early origins of ecology and defined it as the mutual relationships between organisms and their physical environment. The discipline is complex and builds upon an integration of components from different disciplines, all depending on the focus of the problem to be investigated (Figure 2.1). The focus can shift from the organisms, biotic focus, to the physical environment, abiotic focus. The relations to other disciplines will then at the same time shift from biological to physical and chemical.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Terrestrial Ecosystem EcologyPrinciples and Applications, pp. 18 - 24Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011