PARENT SESSION
Oral Session 18: Ecological Theory I: Modeling.
Presiding: R Zabel
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room F 152.
A novel methodology for the analysis ecological concepts: The example of ecological units.
Jax, Kurt*,1, Schwarz, Astrid 2, 1 UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany2 University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
ABSTRACT- The new research and edition project "Handbook of Ecological Concepts" (HOEK) was launched in 2002. Its aims are to analyze the conceptual foundations of ecology, to draw attention to the importance of the use of concepts in the communication between scientists, as well as other users of ecological knowledge, and to contribute to ongoing discussions in ecology. The current presentation will introduce the novel methodology of the HOEK. It is based on methods from linguistics and the philosophy and history of concepts, which hitherto have been applied only to the humanities. The current project refines and adapts these methods for ecology. The basic features of the HOEK-methodology are: a) the common treatment of several related concepts, which form what we call a "conceptual cluster" (e.g. ecological units, ecological interactions). This allows for comparisons of concepts and for clarifying the relations of different concepts; b) the critical historical analysis of the meaning and use of the words denoting the concepts, in order to understand the various and changing uses within their larger contexts, and c) the discussion of epistemological influences and of problems, which may derive from the philosophically improper definition of concepts. Such problems often negatively affect the usefulness of basic ecological concepts in research and application. The approach of the project is exemplified by the example of those concepts assembled in the conceptual cluster "ecological units". These are ecosystem, community, population etc. They are described as a "conceptual cluster" in particular because they have a similar function for ecology and experience similar basic problems with respect to their definitions and usage. They describe units relevant for ecological research and they have been and are confronted with the same questions. Such questions are e.g. as to whether they may delimited by topographical or functional boundaries, or how the necessary relation between parts and whole is conceived.
Key words: ecosystem, ecological theory, ecological concepts, philosophy of science