Scaling Relations in Experimental Ecology (Complexity in Ecological Systems)

This book discusses the impact of recent advances in the theory of "scaling relationships" and identifies critical issues that must be considered if experimental results are used to understand the temporal and spatial scales of actual ecosystems.

The complexity of ecosystems complicates experimental design. How, for example, does a scientist draw boundaries when studying species effects and interactions? Once these boundaries are drawn, how does one treat factors external to that study? Will the failure to consider external factors affect one's ability to extrapolate information across temporal and spatial scales? This volume provides a compilation from a broad range of ecologists with extensive experimental research experience that addresses these and other questions of scaling relations.

Robert H. Gardner is a professor of environmental science at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Studies.

W. Michael Kemp and Victor S. Kennedy are professors at Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Studies.

John E. Peterson is an assistant professor of environmental studies at Oberlin College.