An ecosystem can be defined as a community of living organisms and their non-living environment. "Collapse" can be defined as a change in status of this ecosystem from something ecologically more complex and productive to something less so (e.g., draining a wetland) but you still have an ecosystem; it's just a different type of ecosystem.
Or you could define collapse as complete loss of all living organisms, if that ever happens. Even a crack in the sidewalk is an ecosystem. Or maybe, in eco-socio-political terms, you could say an ecosystem collapses when it no longer supports the organisms or provides the services we are interested in, e.g., drainage, pollution and invasives turn our more complex and productive wetland ecosystem into a relatively simple and non-productive gutter ecosystem. Am I being too simplistic? Warren W. Aney Tigard, Oregon -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Tyson [mailto:landr...@cox.net] Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 21:47 To: Warren W. Aney; ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecosystem function at the most basic level Warren et al: I may have a right to my own "meaning," but do I have a right to my own facts? (apologies to D. Moynihan) If I knew the answer, believe me, I wouldn't ask the question. Therefore, I did not condition the terms of the question on my biases. I must presume that a discipline like ecology has a definition of "ecosystem" and a definition of "collapse." If not, the discussion should be all the more interesting and useful. I should perhaps add that I would consider an answer valid that explained what prevents collapse at ANY level, such as a bacterium and an immune system. WT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Warren W. Aney" <a...@coho.net> To: "Wayne Tyson" <landr...@cox.net>; <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 9:17 PM Subject: RE: [ECOLOG-L] Ecosystem function at the most basic level > Doesn't your question depend somewhat on what "ecosystem" and "collapse" > means to you? > > Warren W. Aney > Tigard, Oregon > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Wayne Tyson > Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 20:06 > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Ecosystem function at the most basic level > > > Ecolog: > > In that complex ballet between organisms and their "hosts" or "prey" at > every level of life, just what is it that keeps the ecosystem from > collapsing? > > WT > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.53/2154 - Release Date: 06/04/09 05:53:00
