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Assessing self-organization of plant communities—A thermodynamic approach

Author

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  • Lin, Hua
  • Cao, Min
  • Stoy, Paul C.
  • Zhang, Yiping

Abstract

Thermodynamics is a powerful tool for the study of system development and has the potential to be applied to studies of ecological complexity. Here, we develop a set of thermodynamic indicators including energy capture and energy dissipation to quantify plant community self-organization. The study ecosystems included a tropical seasonal rainforest, an artificial tropical rainforest, a rubber plantation, and two Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Robinson communities aged 13 years and 1 year. The communities represent a complexity transect from primary vegetation, to transitional community, economic plantation, and fallows and are typical for Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. The indicators of ecosystem self-organization are sensitive to plant community type and seasonality, and demonstrate that the tropical seasonal rainforest is highly self-organized and plays an important role in local environmental stability via the land surface thermal regulation. The rubber plantation is at a very low level of self-organization as quantified by the thermodynamic indicators, especially during the dry season. The expansion of the area of rubber plantation and shrinkage of tropical seasonal rainforest would likely induce local surface warming and a larger daily temperature range.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Hua & Cao, Min & Stoy, Paul C. & Zhang, Yiping, 2009. "Assessing self-organization of plant communities—A thermodynamic approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(6), pages 784-790.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:220:y:2009:i:6:p:784-790
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.01.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Song, Qinghai & Lin, Hua & Zhang, Yiping & Tan, Zhenghong & Zhao, Junfu & Zhao, Junbin & Zhang, Xiang & Zhou, Wenjun & Yu, Lei & Yang, Lianyan & Yu, Guirui & Sun, Xiaomin, 2013. "The effect of drought stress on self-organisation in a seasonal tropical rainforest," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 265(C), pages 136-139.
    2. Maes, W.H. & Pashuysen, T. & Trabucco, A. & Veroustraete, F. & Muys, B., 2011. "Does energy dissipation increase with ecosystem succession? Testing the ecosystem exergy theory combining theoretical simulations and thermal remote sensing observations," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(23), pages 3917-3941.
    3. Miedziejko, Ewa M. & Kędziora, Andrzej, 2014. "Impact of plant canopy structure on the transport of ecosystem entropy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 289(C), pages 15-25.
    4. Lin, Hua & Cao, Min & Zhang, Yiping, 2011. "Self-organization of tropical seasonal rain forest in southwest China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(15), pages 2812-2816.
    5. Jiménez-Muñoz, Juan C. & Sobrino, José A. & Mattar, Cristian, 2012. "Recent trends in solar exergy and net radiation at global scale," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 59-65.

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