Skip to main content
Journal cover image

The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology

Publication ,  Journal Article
Post, DM; Doyle, MW; Sabo, JL; Finlay, JC
Published in: Geomorphology
September 1, 2007

Forging stronger linkages between geomorphology and ecosystem ecology depends, in part, upon developing common conceptualizations of an ecosystem. Because most ecosystem processes are scale dependent, the choice of boundaries is of profound importance to the conceptualization of an ecosystem and to the scope and validity of questions being asked within that ecosystem. Indeed, any conceptualization of an ecosystem requires constraining the spatial and temporal scales of analysis. Thus, it is of particular importance to match the ecosystem boundaries to the question being asked or to the processes being studied and, to facilitate better communication among disciplines, to be explicit in the definitions adopted for an ecosystem. Defining an ecosystem can be problematic when the processes of interest operate at potentially different scales, and little research exists comparing scales of geomorphic processes with those of ecological processes. Here we will discuss the importance of scale in geomorphic and ecological research, and compare and contrast disciplinary biases and inclinations. To highlight the problem of conflicting spatial scales, we will draw on recent attempts to link the structure of food webs to measures of ecosystem size. In particular, problems arise where little or no strong association exists among community membership, resource supply, and physical boundaries. Similar problems arise when trying to link geomorphologic and ecological processes that can operate at different, but variable, temporal scales. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Geomorphology

DOI

ISSN

0169-555X

Publication Date

September 1, 2007

Volume

89

Issue

1-2 SPEC. ISS.

Start / End Page

111 / 126

Related Subject Headings

  • Geography
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience
  • 3705 Geology
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0403 Geology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Post, D. M., Doyle, M. W., Sabo, J. L., & Finlay, J. C. (2007). The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology. Geomorphology, 89(1-2 SPEC. ISS.), 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.014
Post, D. M., M. W. Doyle, J. L. Sabo, and J. C. Finlay. “The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology.” Geomorphology 89, no. 1-2 SPEC. ISS. (September 1, 2007): 111–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.014.
Post DM, Doyle MW, Sabo JL, Finlay JC. The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology. Geomorphology. 2007 Sep 1;89(1-2 SPEC. ISS.):111–26.
Post, D. M., et al. “The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology.” Geomorphology, vol. 89, no. 1-2 SPEC. ISS., Sept. 2007, pp. 111–26. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.014.
Post DM, Doyle MW, Sabo JL, Finlay JC. The problem of boundaries in defining ecosystems: A potential landmine for uniting geomorphology and ecology. Geomorphology. 2007 Sep 1;89(1-2 SPEC. ISS.):111–126.
Journal cover image

Published In

Geomorphology

DOI

ISSN

0169-555X

Publication Date

September 1, 2007

Volume

89

Issue

1-2 SPEC. ISS.

Start / End Page

111 / 126

Related Subject Headings

  • Geography
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience
  • 3705 Geology
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0403 Geology