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of the will speak on |
Managing Parts and Wholes: Yellowstone and the Concept of the Ecosystem |
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Many ecological concepts are defined and used in vary ambiguous and methodologically problematic ways. This has important consequences for communication and theory development within the scientific community. It is the main thesis of this study that this ambiguous state of ecological terms and concepts does also influence the possibilities of determining precise aims of biological conservation and the options of conservational evaluation in a problematic manner. This is demonstrated for a central conceptual field of ecology, namely that of ecological units. Ecological units are understood as those units which comprise more than a single organism and which are object of ecological research, i.e. population, community, or ecosystem. The aim of my study is to demonstrate which basic methodological problems and possibilities exist in connection with the definition of ecological units and how they influence the determination of conservation aims and evaluation. I discuss my project in terms of my research in Yellowstone this summer. |
For more infomation about Dr. Jax, see his personal homepage. |
Enivronmental Education, Science and Technology Building, Room 110 3 p.m., September 9 |
Sponsored by the Environmental Ethics and Environmental Science Graduate Programs |