Interesting discussion, but is it always shifting and reacting? Could the interactions or relationships cease, and if they do does it cease to be an ecosystem?
What about the application of agent orange on the rice fields, rubber plantations and jungle in South Vietnam? This ceased many relationships, though I'm not sure for how long. Mark > Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 07:54:09 -0400 > From: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecosystem function at the most basic level > To: [email protected] > > Ecosystems and "collapse." > > I think that many people > have become habituated to thinking of ecosystems as stable sorts of > things, hence the recent widespread and inappropriate use of the adjective > "healthy" in their description. > > I tend to think of > ecosystems as complex sets of interactions in which the dynamics operate > along a scale from subtle oscillations to catastrophic change. Note > the selection of the word "change" over collapse, for as one > system (sets of interactions) undergoes massive change (perterbation, > disturbance, etc) another undergoes construction: For each system > that collapses, another, often equally as complex, will arise. In > this manner, any change in predator-prey or host-parasite (etc) > relationship or in the physical forcing functions will cause anything from > a ripple in the oscillations to minor or major restructuring. The > most appropriate example is how exotic species insert themselves into > systems. > > Well, enough. Everyone knows all this, I guess I > was just reminding folks. > Tom > > > 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 > > _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_BR_life_in_synch_062009
