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The Rise of Systems Theory in Ecology

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Ecology Revisited pp 183-194

The Rise of Systems Theory in Ecology

Abstract

The emergence of systems theory in ecology, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, was accompanied by the hope that ecology might turn into an exact science with prognostic potential and a set of uniform theoretical foundations. The impact of systems theory on ecology was manifested mainly in the formulation and development of ecosystem theory. The widely-held view is that ecosystem theory is concerned primarily with units comprising communities of organisms of various species and the abiotic environment of these communities. The components of systems are seen to interact with one another.

Keywords

System Concept Ecosystem Approach Abiotic Environment Ecosystem Research General System Theory
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

About this chapter

Cite this chapter as:
Voigt A. (2011) The Rise of Systems Theory in Ecology. In: Schwarz A., Jax K. (eds) Ecology Revisited. Springer, Dordrecht
  • First Online 12 March 2011
  • DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9744-6_15
  • Publisher Name Springer, Dordrecht
  • Print ISBN 978-90-481-9743-9
  • Online ISBN 978-90-481-9744-6
  • eBook Packages Biomedical and Life Sciences
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