Can physics be an appropriate framework for the understanding of
ecological science? Most ecologists would probably agree that there is
little relation between the complexity of natural ecosystems and the
simplicity of any example derived from Newtonian physics. Though
ecologists have long been interested in concepts originally developed by
statistical physicists and later applied to explain everything from why
stock markets crash to why rivers develop particular branching patterns,
applying such concepts to ecosystems has remained a challenge.
Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems is the first book to clearly
synthesize what we have learned about the usefulness of tools from
statistical physics in ecology. Ricard Solé and Jordi Bascompte provide
a comprehensive introduction to complex systems theory, and ask: do
universal laws shape the structure of ecosystems, at least at some
scales? They offer the most compelling array of theoretical evidence to
date of the potential of nonlinear ecological interactions to generate
nonrandom, self-organized patterns at all levels.
Tackling classic ecological questions--from population dynamics to
biodiversity to macroevolution--the book's novel presentation of
theories and data shows the power of statistical physics and complexity
in ecology. Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems will be a staple
resource for years to come for ecologists interested in complex systems
theory as well as mathematicians and physicists interested in ecology.
