Fundamental Processes in Ecology: An Earth Systems Approach
By David M. Wilkinson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Pages: 200
Publication Date: 2006-09-18
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0198568460
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780198568469
Binding: Hardcover
Fundamental Processes in Ecology presents a way to study ecosystems that is not yet available in ecology textbooks but is resonant with current thinking in the emerging fields of geobiology and Earth System Science. It provides an alternative, process-based classification of ecology and proposes a truly planetary view of ecological science. To achieve this, it asks (and endeavours to answer) the question, what are the fundamental ecological processes which would be found on any planet with Earth-like, carbon based, life? The author demonstrates how the idea of fundamental ecological processes can be developed at the systems level, specifically their involvement in control and feedback mechanisms. This approach allows us to reconsider basic ecological ideas such as energy flow, guilds, trade-offs, carbon cycling and photosynthesis; and to put these in a global context. In doing so, the book puts a much stronger emphasis on microorganisms than has traditionally been the case. The integration of Earth System Science with ecology is vitally important if ecological science is to successfully contribute to the massive problems and future challenges associated with global change. Although the approach is heavily influenced by Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis, this is not a popular science book about Gaian theory. Instead it is written as an accessible text for graduate student seminar courses and researchers in the fields of ecology, earth system science, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, history of life, astrobiology, geology and physical geography.
Summary: Global thought-experiments
Rating: 5
Despite lacking any formal background in ecology, I really enjoyed this book. It uses what physicists might characterize as very Fermi-esque, back-of-the-envelope arguments to suggest, among other things, why biodiversity shouldn't be a surprise; why life, if it's present at all on a planet, is more likely to be widespread than isolated; and why the notion of the rain forests as the "lungs of the earth" is wrong. (Our real benefactors: marine phytoplankton, especially because they die and sink; see @88.)
When I first began the book I thought I'd be like an outsider intruding on some family argument: the author is at pains to distinguish his approach from the traditional one in ecology textbooks. Rather than approaching the topic through entities such as genes, individuals, populations, David Wilkinson (DMW) approaches it through processes such as the Second Law of thermodynamics, tradeoffs, hypercycles and photosynthesis (check @13orsee the chapter titles for Chaps. 2-8 for the complete list). I needn't have worried, since the presentation is quite transparent to an outsider to the field (certainly so if you're coming from a physical sciencesorengineering background). Although the level of argumentation is sophisticated (more like a perspective piece in ScienceorNature than a popularization), the level of biology and chemistry background necessary to follow the argument is probably around freshman level. There's also an extensive glossary at the end, if you can't tell your Archaean from your Phanerozoic.
An organizing concept is thought-experiments about what processes would be necessary for life on a planet not necessarily the earth. But it's far from abstract -- DMW's day job is as an empirical scientist rather than theoretician, and there are plenty of empirical papers cited. (Pace another reviewer, however, the book expressly and repeatedly disclaims being about "applied ecology," and makes no pretence of addressing management issues.) He's also quite up-front when he feels there isn't enough data to figure out whether, e.g., some process might accelerateormitigate global warming (see @108).
Many of the results are quite counter-intuitive, at least if one's intuition is shaped by cable TV "Planet in Peril" extravaganzas. In terms of their effects on regulating the planetary environment so that it remains habitable, DMW suggests that prokaryotes are far more important than polar bearsorpandas, and parasites than predators. (Admittedly, he doesn't address the issue of species charisma, which makes pandas better than any Prochlorococcus as poster-organisms for changing human behavior.) But the real fun of the book is the simple, common-sense way in which these results are derived.
The list of references at the end is excellent, and comprises more than 20 pages (the main text is only about 140). I also admire an author who cites one of his own papers only to mention that he was wrong (see discussion of dark pigments in leaves @105).
My one gripe is that the copy editor for this book (or the more senior Oxford UP editor who perhaps chose to forego one) should be summarily fired. There are numerous typos, run-on sentences and non sequiturs, and sentences missing commas where one is necessary in order to make sense. One should not have to waste time puzzling over statements like "As the sun's energy has increased [cite], the CO2 greenhouse has decreased helping [sic] to regulate the Earth's surface temperature," @ 103. (Should be "decreased, helping", with quite the opposite meaning from the original.) The net effect is like eating a very tasty lunch in the company of dozens of persistent flies. I read the hardcover edition, but from Amazon's "look inside" feature the paperback seems to preserve these irritations. But don't let that deter you from reading this very clever and intriguing book.
Summary: Certainly not mind-blowing
Rating: 3
Although it presents a useful approach to determining ecosystems, from a management perspective, there are better approaches.
上一篇：Insect-Plant Biology 下一篇：Proteomics of Human Bodyfluids: Principles, Methods, and Applications
