scholarly journals Plankton modelling and CLAW

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Cropp ◽  
John Norbury

Environmental context. The prospect of human-induced climate change provides a compelling imperative for an improved understanding of living systems, especially those involving ocean plankton that are proposed to have an important role in regulating climate. Ecosystems are complex, adaptive systems and mathematical modelling has proved to be a powerful tool in understanding such systems. The present article considers some of the fundamental issues currently constraining such understanding with particular consideration to modelling ecosystems that underpin the CLAW hypothesis and how they might behave in response to global warming.

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis Monger ◽  
Peter H. Cooke

The Anthropocene is a proposed geologic time period used to convey the profound influence humanity is having on the environmental systems of Earth. The term is controversial because of uncertainties about when to designate its beginning and whether a diagnostic feature of this era survive millions of years into the future. Still, the Anthropocene has captured the imagination of many scientists and provides a framework for analyzing the broad-scale impacts of humanity. The purpose of this paper is to explore how soil micromorphology can contribute to a deeper understanding of the Anthropocene. We approached this issue by systematically examining how data gathered at the micromorphology scale is connected to data obtained at the soil profile, landscape, and global scales. In particular we look at world food production, climate change, groundwater pollution, and plastic decomposition. From this cross-scale analysis it becomes apparent that micromorphology (1) contributes to an understanding of feedbacks operating in complex adaptive systems and (2) provides evidence otherwise invisible for making inferences about climate change. As the human footprint increases, soil micromorphology, using both traditional and emerging technologies, can make a unique contribution to understanding the Anthropocene.


This book is a collection of essays exploring adaptive systems from many perspectives, ranging from computational applications to models of adaptation in living and social systems. The essays on computation discuss history, theory, applications, and possible threats of adaptive and evolving computations systems. The modeling chapters cover topics such as evolution in microbial populations, the evolution of cooperation, and how ideas about evolution relate to economics. The title Perspectives on Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems honors John Holland, whose 1975 Book, Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems has become a classic text for many disciplines in which adaptation play a central role. The essays brought together here were originally written to honor John Holland, and span most of the different areas touched by his wide-ranging and influential research career. The authors include some of the most prominent scientists in the fields of artificial intelligence evolutionary computation, and complex adaptive systems. Taken together, these essays present a broad modern picture of current research on adaptation as it relates to computers, living systems, society, and their complex interactions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document