ecosystem homeostasis

The canonical problem

How is homeostasis in ecosystems maintained and when is it lost? This is the canonical problem in the study of ecological systems and more generally of all biological systems.

What are the mechanisms by which a steady internal state is regulated even when the external environment is highly variable? When do alterations to the internal structures and functions of a system result in the breakdown of this homeostatic stability. At the organisational scale of cell organelles, cells, endocrine systems, organs and organisms, homeostasis is a well documented phenomenon (e.g., thermoregulation, ion-regulation, hormone regulation). However, at larger organisational scales (e.g., populations, communities, landscapes, ecosystems), more than a century of effort has resulted in only controversy and confusion.

This website is dedicated to the exploration of the issues related to this fundamental issue -- and a few digressions.

As an experiment, I have an online paper on this subject. It will be a work in progress and so your feedback and corrections will be welcome!