In a recent study, published in Science Advances Dr. Federico Riva, Dr. Caio Graco-Roza et al. lay out a path to make this happen, and they're hopeful about the potential for breakthroughs in ecology and conservation biology.
Earth is filled with intricate, complex systems that we're still learning to understand. From the global financial market to the workings of the human brain, and even down to something as seemingly simple as a flock of birds changing direction or fireflies’ glowing lights, complex systems are all around us. In fact, Earth itself is a complex system.
While different types of complex systems are generally hard to predict, they share certain commonalities that can help us in understanding them better. This is where complexity science comes in – it's the field of study that looks for the shared principles behind all types of complex systems. It's especially important when it comes to understanding our environment because ecosystems are prime examples of complex systems. And with human activities changing these ecosystems at an unprecedented pace, we need to get a handle on this complexity. However, recent research from Riva, Graco-Roza et al. shows that we've still got some way to go.
Read more at: University of Helsinki
Each red point represents an author or co-author who has published a paper on Ecological Complexity. Red lines connect authors who have collaborated on publications. (Photo Credit: Dr. Federico Riva, Dr. Caio Graco-Roza et al.)