Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
For the ecologist systematic units are actors in a play. Whatever their christian- and family-names may be \xe2\x80\x94 it is their role, whether master or servant, whether villain or hero \xe2\x80\x94 which determines the character of the performance. This performance has, moreover, the property of being both continuous and simultaneous: all scenes are given at once. Such a continuous and simultaneous performance is called a biocoenosis.\nIn a great many ways, a biocoenosis reminds us of an organism. For the co\xc3\xb6rdination between organs or tissues, or even cells is also continuous and simultaneous. A biocoenosis is a higher vital unit, and may be approached by the same methods which we use for the study of organisms (V. D. KLAAUW (24)). In the systematic approach we establish the name, sex and age of the actors, in the anatomical approach the \xe2\x80\x9cpattern\xe2\x80\x9d of the constitutional units is established (\xe2\x80\x9cthe dramatical situation\xe2\x80\x9d), while the physiological approach is concerned with the metabolism of the entity (\xe2\x80\x9cthe plot\xe2\x80\x9d). As counterpart of these methods, however, we have to consider the study of the environment. The environment, which LOTKA has called \xe2\x80\x9cthe stage of the life drama\xe2\x80\x9d (28).
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
