Pickett / Kolasa / Jones Ecological Understanding

The Nature of Theory and the Theory of Nature
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-0-08-050497-1
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 206 Seiten, Web PDF

Ecology is an historical science in which theories can be as difficult to test as they are to devise. This volume, intended for ecologists and evolutionary biologists, reviews ecological theories, and how they are generated, evaluated, and categorized. Synthesizing a vast and sometimes labyrinthine literature, this book is a useful entry into the scientific philosophy of ecology and natural history. The need for integration of the contributions to theory made by different disciplines is a central theme of this book. The authors demonstrate that only through such integration will advances in ecological theory be possible. Ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and other serious students of natural history will want this book.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pickett, Steward T. A.

Kolasa, Jurek

Jones, Clive G.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Ecological Understanding: The Nature of Theory and the Theory of Nature;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;Table of Contents;6
5;Foreword;10
6;Preface;12
7;PART I: Advancing the Discipline and Enhancing Applications;16
7.1;CHAPTER 1. Integration in Ecology;18
7.1.1;I. Overview;18
7.1.2;II. Advances and Diversity in Ecology;18
7.1.3;III. Progress via Integration;24
7.1.4;IV. Integration, Understanding, and Theory;26
7.1.5;V. What an Integrated Ecology Might Look Like;36
7.1.6;VI. Conclusions and Prospects;39
7.2;CHAPTER 2. Understanding in Ecology;41
7.2.1;I. Overview;41
7.2.2;II. The Nature of Scientific Understanding;41
7.2.3;III. Toward Understanding:The Component Processes of General Explanation;47
7.2.4;IV. Conclusions and Prospects;67
8;PART II: The Nature of Theory;70
8.1;CHAPTER 3. The Anatomy of Theory;72
8.1.1;I. Overview;72
8.1.2;II. Theory and Its Conceptual Content;72
8.1.3;III. Theory and Its Empirical Content;79
8.1.4;IV. Theory and Its Derived Conceptual Content;82
8.1.5;V. Theory Frameworks and Structure;91
8.1.6;VI. Conclusions and Prospects;98
8.2;CHAPTER 4. The Ontogeny of Theory;100
8.2.1;I. Overview;100
8.2.2;II. Why Theory Change Is Important;100
8.2.3;III. How Theories Change;104
8.2.4;IV. Theory Maturity;114
8.2.5;V. Conclusions and Prospects;115
8.3;CHAPTER 5. The Taxonomy of Theory;117
8.3.1;I. Overview;117
8.3.2;II. The Bases of Taxonomy;117
8.3.3;III. Understanding and Diversity of Theory;121
8.3.4;IV. Examples of Classification of Theories and Models;122
8.3.5;V. Conclusions and Prospects;125
9;PART III: From Theory to Integration and Application;126
9.1;CHAPTER 6. Fundamental Questions: Changes in Understanding;128
9.1.1;I. Overview;128
9.1.2;II. Theory and Change in Understanding;129
9.1.3;III. Examples of Fundamental Questions;135
9.1.4;IV. All Fundamental Questions Are Not Created Equal;138
9.1.5;V. Where Do Radically New Theories Come From?;140
9.1.6;VI. Conclusions and Prospects;141
9.2;CHAPTER 7. Integration and Synthesis;143
9.2.1;I. Overview;143
9.2.2;II. Integration;143
9.2.3;III. Radical Integration and Paradigms;149
9.2.4;IV. Theory as a Constraint on Integration across Paradigms: New Fundamental Questions;158
9.2.5;V. Conclusions and Prospects;161
10;PART IV: Theory and Its Environment;164
10.1;CHAPTER 8. Constraint and Objectivity in Ecological Integration;166
10.1.1;I. Overview;166
10.1.2;II. Sociological Constraints on Integration;166
10.1.3;III. Societal Constraints on Integration;170
10.1.4;IV. Scientific Objectivity and Changes in Paradigm;171
10.1.5;V. Integration and Paradigms Affecting the Whole of Ecology;174
10.1.6;VI. Conclusions and Prospects;179
10.2;CHAPTER 9. Ecological Understanding and the Public;181
10.2.1;I. Overview;181
10.2.2;II. Scientific versus Public Concepts of Theory;182
10.2.3;III. The Nature of Scientific Conclusions;184
10.2.4;IV. The Content of Science in the Public Sphere;188
10.2.5;V. The State of Public Knowledge of Ecology;192
10.2.6;VI. Rights and Responsibilities in Ecological Understanding;195
10.2.7;VII. What It All Means;199
11;Literature Cited;202
12;Index;218