Dynamical Systems Models

Abstract

Dynamical systems models are concerned with change and susceptibility to change. They have shown their worth in describing material, and to a lesser extent energy, transfers and transformations in a variety of Earth surface systems. Their applications range from global models of geochemical cycles, through nutrient cycles in different biomes and regions, to models of water and solute dynamics in drainage basins, lakes, and soils. They also provide the theoretical base for the new generation of mathematical models dealing with dissipative structures, multiple equilibria, bifurcations, and catastrophes which hold out the promise of combining short-term and long-term landscape changes within a single framework.