The vegetation process - A holistic study of long-term community energetics in East Beringia (Paperback)

Process, as the Book uses this term, implies simultaneous execution of two fundamental functions in continuity. One creates complexity, the other reduces it. Ecologists refer to these as community assembly and disassembly. The process requires energy input which determines the momentary potential energy state of the community. This is measurably true in terms of Max Planck's energy-based entropy. We find potential energy increasing when new species (taxa, community elements) are added to or others proliferate in the community, and decreasing when species drop out or their performance declines. Data analysis which targets energy-based entropy is identified in the Book as Quantum analysis. The Book's core objective is the probing of the historic vegetation process by quantum analytical techniques for the existence of regularities in climate driven potential energy oscillations. L.C. Cwynar's plant particle chronosere, from the Hanging Lake research site, supplies historic details. Temperature chronoseres from the Vostok and Renland polar ice cores allow the reconstruction of concomitant lower atmospheric temperature oscillations. Quantum analysis reveals well-defined regularities. Theory and techniques are presented in detail. Numeric tables and graphs are included and explained. These lay solid foundation for self-study and interpretation. Many of the analytical tasks can be performed on a spreadsheet. Others require access to advanced software for calculus and regression analysis. With such contents in the Book, it should find good use in the hands of researchers, and especially graduate students, planning projects in community energetics.