Abstract
It has been discussed in Chapter 2 (‘Ecology and quantum theory’) that ecosystems are inconceivably complex and that it is impossible to produce a description of ecosystem properties that encompasses all the details. Therefore, as discussed in Chapter 3, ecological models will always be very simplified pictures of real ecosystems and can impinge only on a very limited number of problems or aspects related to the focal ecosystem. An ecological model can be validated only in the right context, and only if it is developed according to a sound ecological knowledge of what is essential to include in the model for the focal ecological problem. In addition, it is crucial that models possess the basic (holistic) properties of the system that they are supposed to imitate.
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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Jørgensen, S.E. (2002). Dynamics of Ecosystems. In: Integration of Ecosystem Theories: A Pattern. Ecology & Environment, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0381-0_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0381-0_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-0755-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0381-0
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