Date of Award:
5-1979
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Wildland Resources
Department name when degree awarded
Range Science
Committee
Not specified
Abstract
The concept of regulation in ecosystems has been given considerable attention in the ecological literature, but no formal treatment has been offered. This study proposes a rigorous definition of regulation which is derived from the mathematics of information and communication theory. A theoretical, mathematical equivalent of the definition is also offered which implies serious limitations as to the value of most traditional laboratory population studies and deterministic population models in understanding regulation in ecosystems. The empirical validity of this theoretical equivalence is tested through use of a competition model of two diatoms. Other observations concerning the relationship between environmental variability and regulation are also reported.
Checksum
a925800f015eed5f5d3a4cdb5d3a5864
Recommended Citation
McKee, M., "Information Transfer and Regulation in a Model Ecosystem with Environmental Stochasticity" (1979). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 6336.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6336
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