You are here:
Discontinuities reveal panarchy in socio-ecological system
Citation:
GARMESTANI, A., A. T. Karunanithi, C. R. Allen, L. H. Gunderson, AND H. CABEZAS. Discontinuities reveal panarchy in socio-ecological system. Presented at rESILIENCE 2008, Stockholm, SWEDEN, April 11 - 18, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Debates on the organization, structure and dynamics of ecosystems across scales of space and time have waxed and waned in the literature for a century. From successional theory to ecosystem theories of resilience and robustness, from hierarchy to ascendency to panarchy theory, ecologists have developed theories that involved developing complex relationships of variables to explain phenomena that are often non-linear, abrupt and surprising. The issues of scale and scaling are a critical part of these theories, especially how systems vary with scales of observation.