Abstract
Terrestrial ecologists are becoming increasingly aware of the need to understand the dynamics of ecological systems across a range of spatial and temporal scales (e.g., Wiens 1989, Denslow 1990, Chesson 1990). Part of the reason for this interest is a growing awareness of the largescale ecological problems impacting society. For example, global warming, acid rain, deforestation, and the development of the antarctic ozone hole all involve processes acting over a very broad range of spatial scales. Unfortunately, we are faced with a fundamental problem in understanding the relationship between these broad-scale environmental problems and basic ecological processes. This is due in large part to the approaches traditionally employed by ecologists.
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Moloney, K.A. (1993). Determining Process Through Pattern: Reality or Fantasy?. In: Levin, S.A., Powell, T.M., Steele, J.W. (eds) Patch Dynamics. Lecture Notes in Biomathematics, vol 96. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-50155-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-50155-5_6
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