QUANTITATIVE ECOLOGY A N D WOODLAND ECOSYSTEM
105
incident, it is unlikely that universally acceptable categories of ecosystems with discrete boundaries will ever be recognized. The flexibility
of the ecosystem approach in relation t o both spatial and time boundaries leads t o some misunderstanding and criticisms of the concept
because of its arbitrary nature and vagueness in this respect (Sukachev,
1960). In reality, the strength of the concept lies in this factor for,
whilst it permits recognition of the considerable internal variation
within ecological systems and the rarity of sharp boundaries between
them, viz. the continuum (Curtis and McIntosh, 1951; Brown and
Curtis, 1952) and the gradient analysis of Whittaker (1953, 1956), it
does not exclude the practical classification of forest by the recognition
of specified categories for particular purposes.
Evans (1956) has suggested that, since an ecological unit of any
rank can be regarded as an ecosystem, the term can be interpreted t o
include the whole biosphere or have a more restricted nature, e.g. an
acorn (Winston, 1956) or soil (Auerbach, 1958). Thus it is possible t o
envisage a hierarchy of increasingly inclusive ecosystems culminating
in an all-encompassing world ecosystem (Rowe, 1961).
A. T H E ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT I N RELATION
TO FOREST RESEARCH
Fundamental research has not received so much attention in forestry
as in horticulture or agriculture, partly because the forest has been
regarded primarily as a wild crop, capable of sustaining itself indefinitely in spite of periodic logging. The advent of more intensive forestry,
with the conversion of much forest land t o agriculture and the increasing value of forest products, necessitates a greater emphasis on fundamental investigations and their application t o sylvicultural practice.
Peace (1961) has described some of the differonces in approach to
natural and artificial forests and stressed the importance of putting
sylviculture on sound scientific grounds unfettered by preconceived
notions.
Whilst the ecosystem concept has value in relation t o a number of
forestry problems, its greatest contribution t o improving forestry practice probably will be that it provides a sound foundation for investigations designed to elucidate the functional processes of woodlands and
to show the bearing of these processes on forest productivity and the
possibilities for improving productivity on a long-term basis. Lindeman
(1942) believed the concept of ecosystem t o be of fundamental importance in interpreting the data of dynamic ecology. If forest research is to
be fully effective, it needs t o be orientated towards obtaining a better
appreciation of ecosystem dynamics ; particularly in relation to quantitative studies of the biological and physical processes affecting proD?
E.R.-I
105
incident, it is unlikely that universally acceptable categories of ecosystems with discrete boundaries will ever be recognized. The flexibility
of the ecosystem approach in relation t o both spatial and time boundaries leads t o some misunderstanding and criticisms of the concept
because of its arbitrary nature and vagueness in this respect (Sukachev,
1960). In reality, the strength of the concept lies in this factor for,
whilst it permits recognition of the considerable internal variation
within ecological systems and the rarity of sharp boundaries between
them, viz. the continuum (Curtis and McIntosh, 1951; Brown and
Curtis, 1952) and the gradient analysis of Whittaker (1953, 1956), it
does not exclude the practical classification of forest by the recognition
of specified categories for particular purposes.
Evans (1956) has suggested that, since an ecological unit of any
rank can be regarded as an ecosystem, the term can be interpreted t o
include the whole biosphere or have a more restricted nature, e.g. an
acorn (Winston, 1956) or soil (Auerbach, 1958). Thus it is possible t o
envisage a hierarchy of increasingly inclusive ecosystems culminating
in an all-encompassing world ecosystem (Rowe, 1961).
A. T H E ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT I N RELATION
TO FOREST RESEARCH
Fundamental research has not received so much attention in forestry
as in horticulture or agriculture, partly because the forest has been
regarded primarily as a wild crop, capable of sustaining itself indefinitely in spite of periodic logging. The advent of more intensive forestry,
with the conversion of much forest land t o agriculture and the increasing value of forest products, necessitates a greater emphasis on fundamental investigations and their application t o sylvicultural practice.
Peace (1961) has described some of the differonces in approach to
natural and artificial forests and stressed the importance of putting
sylviculture on sound scientific grounds unfettered by preconceived
notions.
Whilst the ecosystem concept has value in relation t o a number of
forestry problems, its greatest contribution t o improving forestry practice probably will be that it provides a sound foundation for investigations designed to elucidate the functional processes of woodlands and
to show the bearing of these processes on forest productivity and the
possibilities for improving productivity on a long-term basis. Lindeman
(1942) believed the concept of ecosystem t o be of fundamental importance in interpreting the data of dynamic ecology. If forest research is to
be fully effective, it needs t o be orientated towards obtaining a better
appreciation of ecosystem dynamics ; particularly in relation to quantitative studies of the biological and physical processes affecting proD?
E.R.-I