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From a stationary to a non-stationary ecological state equation: Adding a tool for ecological monitoring

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  • Rodríguez, Ricardo A.
  • Herrera, Ada Ma.
  • Santander, Jacobo
  • Miranda, Jezahel V.
  • Perdomo, María E.
  • Quirós, Ángel
  • Riera, Rodrigo
  • Fath, Brian D.

Abstract

How complex systems are able to self-organize away from equilibrium and maintain their internal functional gradients over time, by adapting themselves and changing their own environment? This is one of the most interesting questions for contemporary ecology because of its potential usefulness to assess the ecological health of our natural environment by means of ecological monitoring. This article shows how a replacement and complementation of variables, that is very simple from the mathematical point of view, can be useful to transform the state equation previously developed to describe stationary ecological conditions into a state equation for non-stationary ecological conditions. The method applied was (a) empirically tested starting from field data collected from five surveys belonging to four different kinds of taxocenosis and (b) explained in a very brief and didactic way that can be easily understandable to everybody with a standard undergraduate training in ecological studies. The main result of this article is a simple mathematical equation that can be useful to perform an instantaneous assessment of the state and trend of ecosystem development in the short run starting from a single survey, that is to say, without the availability of long time series of data that allows the conventional studies of comparative ecology in order to assess the course of ecological succession. This proposal adds an innovative diagnostic tool empirically useful for ecological monitoring.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada Ma. & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Perdomo, María E. & Quirós, Ángel & Riera, Rodrigo & Fath, Brian D., 2016. "From a stationary to a non-stationary ecological state equation: Adding a tool for ecological monitoring," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 320(C), pages 44-51.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:320:y:2016:i:c:p:44-51
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.08.030
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    1. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada M. & Riera, Rodrigo & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Quirós, Ángel & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Fernández-Palacios, José M. & Otto, Rüdiger & Escud, 2015. "Distribution of species diversity values: A link between classical and quantum mechanics in ecology," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 313(C), pages 162-180.
    2. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada Ma. & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Quirós, Ángel & Riera, Rodrigo & Fernández-Palacios, José Mª. & Otto, Rüdiger & Esc, 2015. "Uncertainty principle in niche assessment: A solution to the dilemma redundancy vs. competitive exclusion, and some analytical consequences," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 316(C), pages 87-110.
    3. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada M. & Otto, Rüdiger & Delgado, Juan D. & Fernández-Palacios, José M. & Arévalo, José R., 2012. "Ecological state equation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 224(1), pages 18-24.
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    1. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada Mª & Quirós, Ángel & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Delgado, Juan D. & Jiménez-Rodríguez, Antonia & Fernández-Palacios, José Mª & Otto, Rüdiger & Escudero, Carlos, 2016. "Exploring the spontaneous contribution of Claude E. Shannon to eco-evolutionary theory," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 327(C), pages 57-64.
    2. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Duncan, Janelle & Riera, Rodrigo & Delgado, Juan D. & Quirós, Angel & Vanni, Michael J. & Camarena, Tomás & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Perdomo, María E. & Herrera, Ada M. & González, 2017. "Thermostatistical distribution of a trophic energy proxy: Extension for modelling energy pyramids at the inter-taxocene scale and under non-stationary conditions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 361(C), pages 113-121.
    3. Wu, Zijian & Wu, Xiaofu & Yang, Zhihui & Ouyang, Linnan, 2017. "A simple thermodynamic model for evaluating the ecological restoration effect on a manganese tailing wasteland," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 346(C), pages 20-29.
    4. Wu, Zijian & Wu, Xiaofu & Yang, Zhihui & Ouyang, Linnan, 2018. "Internal energy ratios as ecological indicators for description of the phytoremediation process on a manganese tailing site," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 374(C), pages 14-21.
    5. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Duncan, Janelle M. & Delgado, Juan D. & Vanni, Michael J. & Riera, Rodrigo & Herrera, Ada M. & González, María J., 2017. "Assessment of ecosystem trophodynamic power: A model based on the power equation for an oscillating string," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 362(C), pages 80-86.

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