The Application Of Fractal Geometry To Ecology Essay -- essays researc

The Application of Fractal Geometry to Ecology abduct clean perceptivenesss into the natural world are just a some of the results from the utilisationof fractal geometry. Examples from population and landscape bionomics are lineamentd to ornament the benefit of fractal geometry to the field of ecology. Theadvent of the calculator age played an in-chief(postnominal) role in the development andacceptance of fractal geometry as a sound untried discipline. saucily insights gainedfrom the finish of fractal geometry to ecology include understanding the splendour of spatial and temporal scales the relationship between landscapestructure and try pathways an change magnitude understanding of landscapestructures and the ability to more accurately example landscapes and ecosystems.victimization fractal dimensions allows ecologists to map wight pathways withoutcreating an unmanageable deluge of information. Computer simulations oflandscapes interpret reclaimable models for gai ning new insights into the coexistenceof species. Although m both ecologists name show fractal geometry to be an passing reclaimable utensil, not all concur. With all the new insights gained throughthe curb application of fractal geometry to natural sciences, it is clearthat fractal geometry a useful and valid hammer.New insight into the natural world is just one of the results of the increasingpopularity and use of fractal geometry in the last decade. What are fractals andwhat are they good for? Scientists in a garland of disciplines have been tryingto answer this question for the last deuce decades. Physicists, chemists,mathematicians, biologists, computer scientists, and medical researchers arejust a few of the scientists that have found uses for fractals and fractalgeometry.Ecologists have found fractal geometry to be an extremely useful tool fordescribing ecological systems. Many population, community, ecosystem, andlandscape ecologists use fractal geometry as a tool to religious service define and explainthe systems in the world around us. As with any scientific field, there has beensome dissension in ecology nearly the appropriate level of study. For example,some organism ecologists think that anything big than a single organismobscures the reality with too much detail. On the separate hand, some ecosystemecologists believe that looking at anything less than an spotless ecosystem volitionnot gi... ...l Geometry is not the geometry of nature. Studies inHistory and Philosophy of cognizance. 256967-981.Shibusawa, S. 1994. Modeling the branching growth fractal pattern of the maize rout system. coiffe and Soil. 165 339-347.Simberloff, D., P. Betthet, V. Boy, S. H. Cousins, M.-J. Fortin, R. Goldburg, L.P. Lefkovitch, B. Ripley, B. Scherrer, and D. Tonkyn. 1987. Novel statisticalanalyses in terrestrial animal ecology dirty data and clean questions. pp. 559-572 in Developments in numeric Ecology. P. Legendre and L. Legendre, eds. NATOASI Series . Vol. G14. Springer, Berlin.Turner, M. G. 1989. adorn ecology the effect of pattern on process. AnnualRev. bionomic Syst. 20171-197.Vedyushkin, M. A. 1993. Fractal properties of forest spatial structure.Vegetatio. 113 65-70.Voss, R. F. 1988. Fractals in Nature From Characterization to Simulation. pp.21- 70. in The scientific discipline of Fractal Images. H.-O. Peitgen and D. Saupe, eds.Springer- Verlag, New York.Wiens, J. A., Crist, T. O., Milne, B. 1993. On quantifying insect movements.Environmental Entomology. 22(4) 709-715.Thomsen, D. E. 1980. Making music--Fractally. Science News. 117187-190. The Application Of Fractal Geometry To Ecology Essay -- essays researc The Application of Fractal Geometry to EcologyAbstractNew insights into the natural world are just a few of the results from the useof fractal geometry. Examples from population and landscape ecology are used toillustrate the usefulness of fractal geometry to the field of ecology. Theadvent of the com puter age played an important role in the development andacceptance of fractal geometry as a valid new discipline. New insights gainedfrom the application of fractal geometry to ecology include understanding theimportance of spatial and temporal scales the relationship between landscapestructure and movement pathways an increased understanding of landscapestructures and the ability to more accurately model landscapes and ecosystems.Using fractal dimensions allows ecologists to map animal pathways withoutcreating an unmanageable deluge of information. Computer simulations oflandscapes provide useful models for gaining new insights into the coexistenceof species. Although many ecologists have found fractal geometry to be anextremely useful tool, not all concur. With all the new insights gained throughthe appropriate application of fractal geometry to natural sciences, it is clearthat fractal geometry a useful and valid tool.New insight into the natural world is just one of the results of the increasingpopularity and use of fractal geometry in the last decade. What are fractals andwhat are they good for? Scientists in a variety of disciplines have been tryingto answer this question for the last two decades. Physicists, chemists,mathematicians, biologists, computer scientists, and medical researchers arejust a few of the scientists that have found uses for fractals and fractalgeometry.Ecologists have found fractal geometry to be an extremely useful tool fordescribing ecological systems. Many population, community, ecosystem, andlandscape ecologists use fractal geometry as a tool to help define and explainthe systems in the world around us. As with any scientific field, there has beensome dissension in ecology about the appropriate level of study. For example,some organism ecologists think that anything larger than a single organismobscures the reality with too much detail. On the other hand, some ecosystemecologists believe that looking at anything less than an en tire ecosystem willnot gi... ...l Geometry is not the geometry of nature. Studies inHistory and Philosophy of Science. 256967-981.Shibusawa, S. 1994. Modeling the branching growth fractal pattern of the maizeroot system. Plant and Soil. 165 339-347.Simberloff, D., P. Betthet, V. Boy, S. H. Cousins, M.-J. Fortin, R. Goldburg, L.P. Lefkovitch, B. Ripley, B. Scherrer, and D. Tonkyn. 1987. Novel statisticalanalyses in terrestrial animal ecology dirty data and clean questions. pp. 559-572 in Developments in Numerical Ecology. P. Legendre and L. Legendre, eds. NATOASI Series. Vol. G14. Springer, Berlin.Turner, M. G. 1989. Landscape ecology the effect of pattern on process. AnnualRev. Ecological Syst. 20171-197.Vedyushkin, M. A. 1993. Fractal properties of forest spatial structure.Vegetatio. 113 65-70.Voss, R. F. 1988. Fractals in Nature From Characterization to Simulation. pp.21- 70. in The Science of Fractal Images. H.-O. Peitgen and D. Saupe, eds.Springer- Verlag, New York.Wiens, J. A. , Crist, T. O., Milne, B. 1993. On quantifying insect movements.Environmental Entomology. 22(4) 709-715.Thomsen, D. E. 1980. Making music--Fractally. Science News. 117187-190.