Complexity at Advancing Ecotones and Frontiers

Filed under: Population and Environment

Malanson, George P.; Zeng, Yu; & Walsh, Stephen J. (2006). Complexity at Advancing Ecotones and Frontiers. Environment and Planning A, 38(4), 619-32.

Reference Type:
Journal Article

Secondary Title:

Series Title:

Author(s):
Malanson, George P.
Zeng, Yu
Walsh, Stephen J.

Editor(s):

Series Author(s):

Year Published:
2006

Date Published:

Journal Name:
Environment and Planning A

Volume Number:
38

Issue Number:
4

Start Page Number:
619-32

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Series Volume:

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ISSN/ISBN:

DOI:
10.1068/a37340

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NIHMSID:

Reference ID:
2774

Miscellaneous:

Abstract:

Ecotones, such as advancing treelines, have been examined as complex self-organizing systems. Frontiers of human settlement may share some of their spatial characteristics, because they too include feedbacks between spatial pattern and process. Advancing frontiers of three study areas in the Amazonian region of Ecuador are analyzed with the aid of Landsat imagery to detect change. Power-law distributions of advancing deforestation are found, which are indicative of possible complexity. Alternative approaches in self-organized complexity, including self-organized percolation and the inverse-cascade model, and an approach to complexity involving optimization—highly optimized tolerance—are considered. Some combination of these, based on their common ancestry in percolation theory, might provide insights into population – environment interaction at settlement frontiers.

Keyword(s):
Population and Environment

URL:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/a37340

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Citation:

Malanson, George P.; Zeng, Yu; & Walsh, Stephen J. (2006). Complexity at Advancing Ecotones and Frontiers. Environment and Planning A, 38(4), 619-32.