Kay, J, Allen, T., Fraser, R., Luvall, J., Ulanowicz, R., 2001. "Can we use energy based indicators to characterize and measure the status of ecosystems, human, disturbed and natural?" in Ulgiati, S., Brown, M.T., Giampietro, M., Herendeen, R., Mayumi, K., (eds) Proceedings of the international workshop: Advances in Energy Studies: exploring supplies, constraints and strategies, Porto Venere, Italy, 23-27 May, 2000 pp. 121-133

The notion of ecosystems was first conceptualized in terms of mass and energy flows. The energy flow approach of H. T. Odum was one of the first efforts to systematically quantify and describe ecosystem behaviour. Following this lead, a number of researchers have investigated the thermodynamics of ecosystems and proposed several hypotheses concerning how energy flow in ecosystems changes with development and in response to external stress. The panel will discuss measures related to the energy and mass flow structure of ecosystems and measures of the second law effectiveness of ecosystems. Particular attention will be paid to the use of surface temperature as a way of characterizing the organizational state of ecosystems.

Download the paper in Acrobat format (112K)   

  Back to JK publication page