Implicit scaling in ecological research: On when to make studies of mice and men

Thomas W. Hoekstra; Timothy F. H. Allen; Curtis H. Flather

Treesearch

Implicit scaling in ecological research: On when to make studies of mice and men

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Thomas W. Hoekstra, Timothy F. H. Allen, Curtis H. Flather

Year:

1991

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

BioScience. 41(3): 148-154.

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Abstract

Ecology focuses on tangible organisms; ecological complexity results from the myriad of patterns with which the many different types of organisms interact in their environments. Yet ecology is by no means devoid of abstraction. To produce general principles out of the mass of complicated natural histories, ecology is replete with concepts, such as competition, evolution, and succession, and abstruse structures, such as communities and ecosystems.

Keywords

ecology, ecosystems, communities, organism/concept relationships

Citation

Hoekstra, Thomas W.; Allen, Timothy F. H.; Flather, Curtis H. 1991. Implicit scaling in ecological research: On when to make studies of mice and men. BioScience. 41(3): 148-154.