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Principles of Ecology


which consume the producers. Some energy is lost at each level of consumption.
  • Each species within a system forms a functional unit called a population, which plays a particular role in energy and nutrient cycles.
  • The energy within a system is limited. A population that expands to fill these limits must either stabilize or decline.
  • Systems develop through mutual coevolution of dependant organisms.
  • Systems mature from less complex states with high energy flow and production to more complex states with low energy flow and production. In mature systems, most of the energy goes into system maintenance.
  • Mature systems are normally characterized by vertical, structural complexity (e.g. forests) and high species diversity.
  • Sustained exploitation deteriorates ecosystem maturity.

    • These principles are essential to understanding how ecosystems operate, and can help predict what will happen when something changes the system.

    Funding for research usually depends on asking questions like, "What will happen if we build a pipeline across this stretch of tundra?" The simple answer usually is: "No action is the best action." Interference in the environment usually leads to its deterioration. But the human drive to consume is not content with that. Environmental studies are usually faced with the problem of predicting a set of possible outcomes and choosing the least of many evils.

    The copyright of the article Principles of Ecology in Ecology is owned by Van Waffle. Permission to republish Principles of Ecology in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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