Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
It was strongly Clementsian with some of the superorganism emphasis of Phillips
added in. It also included a number of ideas that were popular in theoretical and
population ecology at the time, such as theideathatbioticdiversityinan
ecosystem connotes ecosystem stability or the concept that succession was
inherently driven to maximize some features (total biomass, biotic diversity,
ratios of energy, or material transfers, etc.). These latter considerations can be
seen as a logical continuation of Clements' concept that succession was progres-
sive in its direction.
Odum's 1969 paper generated and still generates strong interest in the scientific
community and continues to be influential these 40 years later. (At this writing in
the end of year 2010, the Odum paper has been cited over 1,700 times with no
diminution in citation rate.) As one might expect given its essential Clementsian
theme updated with central topics in ecosystems ecology, the Odum's paper
attracted several negative reviews from the ecologists of a Gleasonian persuasion,
particularly given the ascendency of ideas association with Gleason's papers on
succession [
6
]. Nevertheless, Odum's work has had a strong influence on the
direction of sustainability science. Its rules on how change should progress toward
appropriate natural goals provide guidelines to how ecological systems might be
managed toward naturally appropriate goals. Its dogmatism makes it a target for
criticism but also gives it an influential position in those wrestling with the difficult
problem in a dynamical, strongly human-altered planet.
Sustainability and Vegetation Dynamics
In the historical review above, one finds succession to be a complex concept
with different interpretations as to its causes and attributes over time. Ecologists
such as F.E. Clements and E.P. Odum viewed succession as a process that drove
change in vegetation everywhere. The generality of their application invited the
inspection of local examples and the discovery of “exceptions to the rule” that
could whittle away at the claimed generality. They also were drawn to applying
these principles in understanding human changes on landscapes. Other
ecologists such as H.A. Gleason and probably the majority of modern ecologists
active in this area of research today developed a much more diffuse notion of
succession. How do these ideas contribute to sustainability sciences and how can
they be applied?
Clementsian Succession and Sustainability Science
The importance of succession for sustainability science can be illustrated by two
examples: The first is from the historical role of succession theory in land-use
policy in the United States; the second involves the incorporation of succession
