Ecosystems

In this module we will be taking a very high-level overview to ecologies through the lens of systems theory. We first discuss how an ecology is before anything else a physical system, where we are dealing with the interaction of energy and matter. Energy is being processed through the system, and each stage of that process involves the construction and deconstruction of matter into various structures, what is called the charge-discharge cycle, as energy is processed across some gradient through a network of biotic and abiotic elements.

We then go on to talk about the maximum power principle, a process of self-organization, where given enough input of free energy the system will endogenously self-organize to maximize the energy fluxes through the network as creatures co-evolve and co-adapt to occupy the various niches required. We talk about boundary conditions as a universal feature to biological systems, ecosystem dynamics and homeostasis as a product of feedback loops. Finally, we will touch upon evolution as a process of selection over a set of elements to maximize the throughput to the ecosystem's metabolic network.

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[wrobelwrobelwrobi]

Whole complexity academy is so beautiful project, thank you authors!
One issue - system boundaries would be better explained as boundaries of our focus when we examine systems. In reality systems have no boundaries, they are created by us by zooming in and out. When zoomed to one cell, then boundary is cell membrane, when out to see whole human, then skin.
It's like edge of the map, we know that world continues behind them, but for our purposes, considering size of paper and map's scale, we print only that limit area.

[CHR]

Next time someone ask me what Zen is I will just link them to this course.

Thank you for sharing ♥