TY - JOUR
T1 - Macrosystems ecology
T2 - Understanding ecological patterns and processes at continental scales
AU - Heffernan, James B.
AU - Soranno, Patricia A.
AU - Angilletta, Michael J.
AU - Buckley, Lauren B.
AU - Gruner, Daniel S.
AU - Keitt, Tim H.
AU - Kellner, James R.
AU - Kominoski, John S.
AU - Rocha, Adrian V.
AU - Xiao, Jingfeng
AU - Harms, Tamara K.
AU - Goring, Simon J.
AU - Koenig, Lauren E.
AU - McDowell, William H.
AU - Powell, Heather
AU - Richardson, Andrew D.
AU - Stow, Craig A.
AU - Vargas, Rodrigo
AU - Weathers, Kathleen C.
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant regions, and interactions that cross scales of space and time as the most likely sources of unexpected and novel behaviors in macrosystems. We present three examples that highlight the importance of this multiscaled systems perspective for understanding the ecology of regions to continents.
AB - Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant regions, and interactions that cross scales of space and time as the most likely sources of unexpected and novel behaviors in macrosystems. We present three examples that highlight the importance of this multiscaled systems perspective for understanding the ecology of regions to continents.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84894236042&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84894236042&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1890/130017
DO - 10.1890/130017
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84894236042
SN - 1540-9295
VL - 12
SP - 5
EP - 14
JO - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
JF - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
IS - 1
ER -