104
J. D. OVINQTON
Unfortunately these intensive but limited investigations have rarely
been put into perspective against the general forest background and
individual features have received undue emphasis as “indicators” of
the overall woodland condition. The resultant lack of integration has
caused an oversimplified approach t o woodland ecology which has
further hindered the effective co-ordination of results from different
disciplines and areas. Multiple and more intensive use of forest land is
inevitable as the world population multiplies, and the more thorough
and comprehensive our knowledge of woodland ecology, the better will
be the prospect for wise use and long-term conservation of the woodland
resource. Some unifying concept embracing all aspects of woodland
ecology is needed t o bring forth a deeper understanding of woodland
systems and t o serve as the basis for their more rational utilization.
It seems that the concept of ecosystem may provide the universal
backcloth against which t o show woodlands in all their patterned
complexity.
11. THE ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT
The term ecosystem was introduced by Tansley in 1935 t o embrace
not only living organisms and their remains, but also the whole complex of environmental factors, both biological and physical, operative
in an ecological unit. Hills (1960) considers that so far as fundamental
definitions are concerned, ecosystem is largely synonymous with biogeocoenose as coined by Sukachev (1944) in the U.S.S.R. and total site
as used by Hills in Canada although there is some difference in emphasis.
Various approaches to the study of forest ecosystems will undoubtedly
arise because of geographic individuality and differences in interpretation, objectives and available knowledge, but this cannot affect the
fundamental unifying nature of the concept (Rowe et al., 1960). The
potential use of the ecosystem concept is now becoming more fully
recognized (Crocker, 1952; Sjors, 1955), for by bringing together a
variety of viewpoints it focuses attention upon the fundamental relationships and balance between woodland plants and animals, the
physical environment of soil and climate, and the influence of man.
Furthermore, it provides the key t o a better understanding of the
dynamic nature of woodlands not only throughout the year but on a
long-term basis spanning generations of trees.
Ecosystems cannot be regarded as closed systems, isolated and
independent, since interflow of energy and matter occura between
adjacent ecosystems in diverse and changing ways. The boundaries of
ecological units may be delimited by differences in soil, climate or the
distribution limits of plant or animal species, but since all of these are
subject t o change with time and are not necessarily precise nor co-
J. D. OVINQTON
Unfortunately these intensive but limited investigations have rarely
been put into perspective against the general forest background and
individual features have received undue emphasis as “indicators” of
the overall woodland condition. The resultant lack of integration has
caused an oversimplified approach t o woodland ecology which has
further hindered the effective co-ordination of results from different
disciplines and areas. Multiple and more intensive use of forest land is
inevitable as the world population multiplies, and the more thorough
and comprehensive our knowledge of woodland ecology, the better will
be the prospect for wise use and long-term conservation of the woodland
resource. Some unifying concept embracing all aspects of woodland
ecology is needed t o bring forth a deeper understanding of woodland
systems and t o serve as the basis for their more rational utilization.
It seems that the concept of ecosystem may provide the universal
backcloth against which t o show woodlands in all their patterned
complexity.
11. THE ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT
The term ecosystem was introduced by Tansley in 1935 t o embrace
not only living organisms and their remains, but also the whole complex of environmental factors, both biological and physical, operative
in an ecological unit. Hills (1960) considers that so far as fundamental
definitions are concerned, ecosystem is largely synonymous with biogeocoenose as coined by Sukachev (1944) in the U.S.S.R. and total site
as used by Hills in Canada although there is some difference in emphasis.
Various approaches to the study of forest ecosystems will undoubtedly
arise because of geographic individuality and differences in interpretation, objectives and available knowledge, but this cannot affect the
fundamental unifying nature of the concept (Rowe et al., 1960). The
potential use of the ecosystem concept is now becoming more fully
recognized (Crocker, 1952; Sjors, 1955), for by bringing together a
variety of viewpoints it focuses attention upon the fundamental relationships and balance between woodland plants and animals, the
physical environment of soil and climate, and the influence of man.
Furthermore, it provides the key t o a better understanding of the
dynamic nature of woodlands not only throughout the year but on a
long-term basis spanning generations of trees.
Ecosystems cannot be regarded as closed systems, isolated and
independent, since interflow of energy and matter occura between
adjacent ecosystems in diverse and changing ways. The boundaries of
ecological units may be delimited by differences in soil, climate or the
distribution limits of plant or animal species, but since all of these are
subject t o change with time and are not necessarily precise nor co-