The Ecosystem in Practice: Interest and Problems of an Old Definition for Constructing Ecological Models

摘要: Since its inception, the ecosystem concept has been widely used in ecology and is increasingly finding application within other disciplines. In more recent times ecology, however, it suggested term now obsolete. We argue that three problems lie at heart of these criticisms, namely physics–biology duality problem, boundary problem abstraction problem. The (how to grapple with systems follow laws both physics biology) addressed by modern computer science techniques originating from simulation software engineering. find limits an real world) solved a powerful assumption Tansley, ad hoc construct on part observer for particular purpose. (can models different levels detail produce same outcomes) no general solution, but can be improved upon using scaling standards facilitate model comparisons. demonstrate Tansley’s (Ecology 16:284–307, 1935) definition still relevant almost as is. multi-disciplinary, recursive, scale-independent observer-dependent object. These properties closely match those complex defined mathematics sciences. From definition, we propose formal description concepts relations linked ontology serve basis future discussion, modelling conceptual work.