title: Biophysical questions in ecology and environmental research. Part 2: The extremes of an ecosystem (author's transl).
abstract: Some basic differences and developmental aspects of ecosystems are demonstrated. Maximum "energy conductivity" and the pathways of energy flow through ecosystems are discussed as the force, potential, or principle to drive the evolution of the system. A working hypothesis is offered: Ecosystems maximize the total energy flow to optimize temperature stability. The paper stresses in general the need and search for new approaches to analyze the evolution of ecosystems. The hypothesis presented in this paper should be regarded as stimulation for further research.
mesh_terms: D004463:Ecology
vernacular_title: Biophysikalische Fragestellungen in der Okologie und Umweltforschung. Teil 2: Extremalprinzipien in Okosystemen