Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems. (MPB-42)

Description

Deals with the usefulness of tools from statistical physics in ecology. This book provides an introduction to complex systems theory, and asks whether universal laws shape the structure of ecosystems. Tackling classic ecological questions, its presentation of theories and data focuses on the power of statistical physics and complexity in ecology.

Ricard V. Sole is Professor of Research at the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies in Spain, head of the Complex Systems Lab at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, external professor at the Santa Fe Institute, and Senior Member of the NASA-Associate Center of Astrobiology. His recent books include "Signs of Life: How Complexity Pervades Biology". Jordi Bascompte is Associate Professor of Research at the Spanish Research Council, and a Visiting Scientist at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was awarded a European Young Investigator Award, and is coeditor of "Modeling Spatiotemporal Dynamics in Ecology".

"Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems is an excellent book, and could very well be the very best of its type."--Timothy F. H. Allen. BioScience "There is no book like this in the canonical line of textbooks on theoretical ecology: Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems views ecosystems from the perspective of self-organization and the emergence of their large-scale complex features. It does this from a largely mathematical perspective and, surprisingly, draws on several methods from theoretical physics."--Stefan Bornholdt, TRENDS "Throughout the volume, the authors provide examples of rigorous mathematical treatment and ecological problems of local and global significance using concepts and tools of statistical physics. These examples, as well as a solid background on the applicability of fundamental laws of physics in ecology, could provide excellent supplemental formation for theoretical ecology courses."--Igor Linkov, Quarterly Review of Biology