Social Insect Colonies as Complex Adaptive Systems

Social insect societies are complex adaptive systems that self-organize within a set of constraints. Although it is important to acknowledge that global order in social insects can arise as a result of internal interactions among insects, it is equally important to include external factors and constraints in the picture, especially as the colony and its environment may influence each other through interactions among internal and external factors. The scope of this remark goes beyond social insects and applies to a wide range of biological systems, including ecosystems. Received 14 April 1998; accepted 7 July 1998.     

Use of Complex Adaptive Systems for Modeling Global Change

Global modeling has been used for decades to assess the possible futures of humanity and the global environment. However, these models do not always satisfactorily include the adaptive characteristics of systems. In this article, a general approach is used to simulate change and transition at a macrolevel due to adaptation at a microlevel. Tools from complex adaptive systems research are used to simulate the microlevel and consequently determine parameter values of the equation-based macrolevel model. Two case studies that applied this approach are reviewed. The first study assessed the efficacy of efforts to control malaria, whereas the second study used an integrated model to construct climate change scenarios by using various possible views on the nature of the climate system. Received 14 April 1998; accepted 7 July 1998.     

Complex Adaptive Systems and the Evolution of Reciprocation

Complex adaptive systems play a major role in the theory of reciprocal altruism. Starting with Axelrod's celebrated computer tournaments, a wide variety of computer simulations show that cooperation can evolve in populations of selfish agents, both with direct and indirect reciprocation. Received 14 April 1998; accepted 16 June 1998.     

Marine Ecosystems as Complex Adaptive Systems: Emergent Patterns,Critical Transitions,and Public Goods

Complex adaptive systems provide a unified framework for explaining ecosystem phenomena. In the past 20 years, complex adaptive systems have been sharpened from an abstract concept into a series of tools that can be used to solve concrete problems. These advances have been led by the development of new techniques for coupling ecological and evolutionary dynamics, for integrating dynamics across multiple scales of organization, and for using data to infer the complex interactions among different components of ecological systems. Focusing on the development and usage of these new methods, we discuss how they have led to an improved understanding of three universal features of complex adaptive systems, emergent patterns; tipping points and critical phenomena; and cooperative behavior. We restrict our attention primarily to marine ecosystems, which provide numerous successful examples of the application of complex adaptive systems. Many of these are currently undergoing dramatic changes due to anthropogenic perturbations, and we take the opportunity to discuss how complex adaptive systems can be used to improve the management of public goods and to better preserve critical ecosystem services.     

Motivation and Benefits of Complex Systems Approaches in Ecology

Studies of complex systems in other disciplines provide models and analytical strategies for understanding ecosystems and landscapes. The emphasis is on invariant properties, particularly processes that create scaling relations over wide ranges of scale, both in time and space. Translations between levels of ecological organization may be accomplished by succinct characterizations of processes that operate at fine scales, followed by renormalization group analysis to reveal patterns at broad scales. The self-organized patterns found in simple ecosystem, landscape, and forest-fire models may be explained as feedback between the system state and control parameters. Critical phenomena and phase transitions are expected in open, dissipative systems where long-range correlations defy predictions based on average population densities, a concept that becomes irrelevant as nonstationary conditions prevail. Thus, complexity theory for open systems relates to the ecology of self-entailing ecosystems that function as their own environments and thereby create constraints through emergence. Received: 14 April 1998; accepted 26 May 1998     

Contagious Disturbance, Ecological Memory, and the Emergence of Landscape Pattern

Landscapes are strongly shaped by the degree of interaction between pattern and process. This paper examines how ecological memory, the degree to which an ecological process is shaped by its past modifications of a landscape, influences landscape dynamics. I use a simulation model to examine how ecological memory shapes the landscape dynamics produced by the interaction of vegetative regrowth and fire. The model illustrated that increased ecological memory increased the strength and spatial extent of landscape pattern. The extent of these changes depended upon the relative rates of vegetative recovery and fire initiation. When ecological memory is strong, landscape pattern is persistent; pattern tends to be maintained rather than destroyed by fire. The generality of the simulation model suggests that these results may also apply to disturbance processes other than fire. The existence of ecological memory in ecosystems may allow processes to produce ecological pattern that can entrain other ecosystem variables. The methods presented in this paper to analyze pattern in model ecosystems could be used to detect such pattern in actual ecosystems. Received 14 November 2000; accepted 21 September 2001.     

陆地生态系统植被氮磷化学计量研究进展

因化学功能的耦合和元素的不可替代性, 植物对N、P的需求和利用存在严格的比例。植物N、P化学计量在不同功能群、生长地区、生长季、器官之间以及环境梯度下存在明显的变化规律。多数研究从N、P浓度、N:P及N、P间异速指数等角度分析了植物化学计量变化规律, 并探讨其在全球范围内的具体数值。为增进对植物响应全球变化的理解, 该文综述了N、P化学计量的影响因素及其机理的最新研究进展, 并指出未来拟重点研究的方向。     

Ecological Resilience, Biodiversity, and Scale

We describe existing models of the relationship between species diversity and ecological function, and propose a conceptual model that relates species richness, ecological resilience, and scale. We suggest that species interact with scale-dependent sets of ecological structures and processes that determine functional opportunities. We propose that ecological resilience is generated by diverse, but overlapping, function within a scale and by apparently redundant species that operate at different scales, thereby reinforcing function across scales. The distribution of functional diversity within and across scales enables regeneration and renewal to occur following ecological disruption over a wide range of scales. Received 11 April 1997; accepted 9 July 1997.     

Reconciling Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Service Reliability Mandates in Large Technical Systems: Findings and Implications of Three Major US Ecosystem Management Initiatives for Managing Human-Dominated Aquatic-Terrestrial Ecosystems

How can decision makers reconcile the demand for increasingly reliable services drawn from the environment (including water and power) with the desire for both a better environment and more environmental amenities? In this paper, which is based on US case studies of ecosystem rehabilitation initiatives in the San Francisco Bay-Delta, the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest, and the Florida Everglades, we focus on several notable problems in current management practice. We assess the role of adaptive management and identify five areas of major innovation by which ecologists and the authorities that operate large water and hydropower systems attempt to reconcile the tension between maintaining service reliability and promoting ecological rehabilitation. The implications of the findings for a wider framework within which ecosystems can be matched to the most appropriate management regime are related specifically to aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, we emphasize the importance of redefining ecosystem functions and services so that the inherent conflict between high-reliability services and ecosystem rehabilitation can be reconciled.     

Functional Group Change within and across Scales following Invasions and Extinctions in the Everglades Ecosystem

Cross-scale resilience theory predicts that the combination of functional diversity within scales and functional redundancy across scales is an important attribute of ecosystems because it helps these systems resist minor ecological disruptions and regenerate after major disturbances such as hurricanes and fire. Using the vertebrate fauna of south Florida, we quantified how the loss of native species and invasion by nonnatives may alter functional group richness within and across scales. We found that despite large changes in species composition due to potential extinctions and successful invasions by nonnative species, functional group richness will not change significantly within scales, there will not be any significant loss of overall redundancy of ecology function across scales, and overall body mass pattern will not undergo substantial change. However, the types of functions performed will change, and this change may have profound effects on not only the Everglades ecosystem but on the entire landscape of south Florida. Received 14 November 2000; accepted 20 December 2001.     

Understanding the Complexity of Economic, Ecological, and Social Systems

Hierarchies and adaptive cycles comprise the basis of ecosystems and social-ecological systems across scales. Together they form a panarchy. The panarchy describes how a healthy system can invent and experiment, benefiting from inventions that create opportunity while being kept safe from those that destabilize because of their nature or excessive exuberance. Each level is allowed to operate at its own pace, protected from above by slower, larger levels but invigorated from below by faster, smaller cycles of innovation. The whole panarchy is therefore both creative and conserving. The interactions between cycles in a panarchy combine learning with continuity. An analysis of this process helps to clarify the meaning of “sustainable development.” Sustainability is the capacity to create, test, and maintain adaptive capability. Development is the process of creating, testing, and maintaining opportunity. The phrase that combines the two, “sustainable development,” thus refers to the goal of fostering adaptive capabilities and creating opportunities. It is therefore not an oxymoron but a term that describes a logical partnership. Received 7 March 2001; accepted 16 March 2001.     

生态卫生适应性优化技术及其复合生态效益

针对我国中西部城市的生态特征,组合了具有不同适应性的生态卫生技术,提出了5种优化技术方案,评价了各技术组合的环境影响、资源回收潜力、经济投入与收益、管理难度和公众接受程度,并分析了技术体系改进后可能产生的复合生态效益.结果表明：原位式生态卫生组合技术的节水和生物质循环能力较优,且综合费用相对低廉,但在城市管理与公众接受度上有一定的不足;集中式生态卫生组合技术易于管理且更易被公众接受,但费用高昂,资源化潜力偏弱.采用生态卫生组合技术改进现有卫生系统后,温室气体排放（以CO₂计）将减少70%以上,水环境污染（以BOD₅计）将减少约30%,营养物回收（以N、P、K加和计）将提高15倍以上;可以缓解中西部城市近3%的生活能源、10%的生活用水压力和15%的成品粮需求;计入资源化效益后经济投入可节省56%.     

Palm heart harvesting in the Brazilian Atlantic forest: changes in industry structure and the illegal trade

1. Until the late 1960s, Euterpe edulis was the most important edible palm species in the Brazilian markets. Since then, overharvesting of natural stands and the limited scope of plantations have caused the industry to shift to the multistemmed E. oleracea from the Amazon river estuary.
2. As a result of the relocation of the industry, the structure of the palm harvesting industry has changed and illegal trade has continued to exploit the remaining natural stands of E. edulis .
3. It is suggested that, to avoid the total harvesting of E. edulis and to achieve sustainable management of the palm heart, it will be necessary to diversify the local economy, create incentives for small land owners to improve their management practices, while keeping their competitiveness against the illegal trade, create the incentive of new sources of palm hearts and create a 'green stamping' for management palms.
4. Transformation of the illegal structure of the palm heart industry is probably the only solution to avoid the total depletion of the wild stands of E. edulis .     

低丘红壤地区几种农林复合系统的生态经济效益

低丘红壤地区几种农林复合系统的生态经济效益傅庆林,罗永进（浙江省农科院土壤肥料研究所,杭州３１００２１）柴锡周（浙江省林业科学研究所,杭州３１００２３）ＥｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＥｆｆｅｃｔｓａｎｄＥｃｏｎｏｍｉｃＢｅｎｃｆｉｔｏｆｔｈｅＣｏｍｐｌｅｘＡｇ...     

Adaptive Host Preference and the Dynamics of Host–Parasitoid Interactions

Models of two independent host populations and a common parasitoid are investigated. The hosts have density-dependent population growth and only interact indirectly by their effects on parasitoid behavior and population dynamics. The parasitoid is assumed to experience a trade-off in its ability to exploit the two hosts. Three alternative types of parasitoid are investigated: (i) fixed generalists whose consumption rates are those that maximize fitness; (ii) “ideal free” parasitoids, which modify their behavior to maximize their rate of finding unparasitized hosts within a generation; and (iii) “evolving” parasitoids, whose capture rates change between generations based on quantitative genetic determination of the relative attack rates on the two hosts. The primary questions addressed are: (1) Do the different types of adaptive processes stabilize or destabilize the population dynamics? (2) Do the adaptive processes tend to equalize or to magnify differences in host densities? The models show that adaptive behavior and evolution frequently destabilize population dynamics and frequently increase the average difference between host densities.     

蚂蚁群落与栖境关系研究进展及新趋势

生物群落与栖境的关系是生态学研究的核心之一,蚂蚁群落由于在陆地生态系统中的生物量、分布以及具备的生态功能的重要性,是研究这种关系的理想对象。在查阅大量文献的基础上,简述了蚂蚁物种多样性与栖境关系研究现状。介绍了蚂蚁功能群划分以及在不同尺度上与栖境关系的应用研究,评述了功能群应用的限制。阐明了功能特征的定义以及基于形态特征和营养级方面的蚂蚁群落功能特征与栖境的研究,并对功能特征的研究趋势进行了展望。     

Principal Component Analysis on Morphological Variation in the Saussurea nipponica Complex (Compositae)

Abstract For the understanding of morphological differentiation and recognition of natural groups in the Saussurea nipponica complex, 440 individuals from 19 populations were examined, especially by using statistical methods. The variation range of 16 morphological characters within and between populations were analyzed not only separately but also synthetically by Duncan's multiple range test, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. Of the 16 characters examined, characters concerning plant size (height and diameter of stem, size of involucre, etc.) and involucral bract (length of involucral bract and recurved part of involucral bract) are suggested to be important to recognize natural groups. Five groups are recognized by a complex pattern of the morphological characters. They can be defined multivariately as natural groups having indegenous habitat and distribution range, and considered as subspecies of S. nipponica.     

宁夏荒漠草原植物群落结构和物种多样性研究

采用样方法对宁夏荒漠草原植物群落进行了调查,对群落结构、功能群物种组成和物种多样性以及群落生产力的关系进行探讨。结果表明,群落生产力除受物种多样性的影响外,也受物种本身特征和环境资源的影响。在荒漠草原中功能群盖度与群落初级生产力无显著的相关关系。功能群内物种多样性、物种数和个体数量上呈现一定的互为消长关系。     

坡向对东祁连山高寒草甸群落物种功能群及其多样性的影响

为探究祁连山东缘地区不同坡向的高寒草甸群落物种功能群和多样性差异,该研究选择北坡(N坡)、西北坡(NW坡)、西坡(W坡)、东坡(E坡)、东北坡(NE坡)、西南坡(SW坡)和南坡(S坡)7个坡向类型,调查各坡向的植被特征(高度、盖度和频度),测定土壤因子,分析物种均匀度和多样性指数及其相关性等。结果发现：(1)研究区样地共有植物11科18属21种,主要有豆科(4属4种)、菊科(3属3科)、蔷薇科(1属3种)、莎草科(2属2种)、禾本科(2属2种)和蓼科(1属2种);不同坡向的植物科、属数量变化趋势与种相同,均为东北坡、西南坡、北坡(76.19%)>南坡(66.67%)>东坡(61.90%)>西坡、西北坡(19.05%)。(2)不同坡向的草地群落组成不同,其中东坡、南坡和东北坡主要以草本植物为主,西南坡和北坡为草本和灌丛交错区,西坡和西北坡主要以灌丛为主。(3)不同坡向的物种功能群不同,其中东坡、南坡、东北坡、北坡和西南坡的莎草类重要值最高,西坡和西北坡只有豆科和杂类草,且杂类草重要值最高。(4)不同坡向的优势功能群不同,其中：禾本科植物的重要值大小为阴坡(NE坡)>阳坡(S坡和SW坡)>半阳坡(E坡),莎草科植物重要值大小为半阳坡(E坡)>阳坡(S坡)>阴坡(NE坡和N坡),豆科植物重要值大小为阳坡(S坡)>阴坡(N坡、NW坡和NE坡)>半阳坡(E坡)>半阴坡(W坡),杂类草植物重要值大小为半阴坡(W坡)>阴坡(N坡和NE坡)>半阳坡(E坡)>阳坡(SW坡和S坡)。(5)随着坡向梯度变化,物种丰富度和香农 威纳多样性指数变化一致,其大小均表现为：阴坡>阳坡>半阳坡>半阴坡。(6)冗余分析发现,土壤含水量和碳氮比是影响灌丛植物［瑞香(Daphne odora)、金露梅(Potentilla fruticosa)和头花杜鹃(Rhododendron capitatum)］重要值的重要因素。研究表明,不同坡向的土壤水分、养分和光照等的变化显著影响了高寒草甸植物群落物种功能群及其多样性。