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Contents:

1 - The natures of ecology; 2 - Origin and evolution of the ecosystem concept; 3 - Approaches and paradigms of ecosystem ecology; 4 - Methods of studying ecosystems; 5 - The system concept and attempts to apply physical principles to ecosystem ecology; 6 - Abiotic factors and the structure of ecosystems; 7 - Hierarchies, levels of organisation and typology of ecological systems; 8 - Spatial and temporal scales and their consequences; 9 - Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability; 10 - Dynamics of communities and ecosystems: from the balance of nature to self-regulated systems; 11 - Matter and energy flows in ecosystems; 12 - Biological diversity and ecosystem functioning; 13 - The biogeochemical cycles; 14 - Global ecology: dynamics of the biosphere; 15 - The climatic system and its variability; 16 - Biosphere-atmosphere interactions and their consequences for global equilibrium; 17 - Responses of ecosystems to climatic changes: knowing the past to understand the future.

Review:

It is easy to fall into the habit of expecting all basic ecology texts to follow a similar path because most of our UK ecology falls under the Anglo-American tradition. It comes as a surprise to find the less common European perspective in a text. The division is well known to ecologists but beginners might be surprised. It would take too long to attempt any easy description of the division - suffice it to say that the Anglo-American school is based more of empiricism and the continental European school more from a theoretical background. This is not often appreciated in basic ecology courses but it has profound implications for the way in which we view our subject.

Thus we have this text, translated from the original French, looking at and arguing for the importance of the field of ecosystem ecology. At this level the author is suggesting it is one of the key branches of ecology (the other being population ecology) which would in itself prove controversial. The opening chapter acts as a discussion on these points with consideration of the 'science' part of ecology and some general philosophical points. From this point the text is divided into four parts. The first part explores the nature of the scientific approach more fully. Chapter two starts with a consideration of the notion of 'ecosystem' and its various uses through history. Chapter three continues this philosophical journey with an examination of the paradigms and their application to ecology. The final chapter in this part looks at the theory of the scientific method, sampling, experiments and models. Part two is focussed on the structure and organisation of ecosystems. We start with an exploration of the extent to which ideas in the physical sciences can be used in describing ecosystems. This is followed by a brief but useful overview of the main abiotic factors as they apply to ecosystems. Rather than consider the individual organism and then move towards populations and communities, chapter seven takes another approach by discussing the development of hierarchies in ecosystems (guilds, trophic hierarchies, assemblages etc.) and the implication for that ecosystem. Central to this is that organisation is a key component in ecosystem such that the complete system is greater than its individual components. Chapter 8 and 9 are linked by the concept of distribution. The former considers the way in which scales affect functioning whilst the latter examines changes to patterns in space and time. Looking back at these five chapters the reader is left in no doubt as to the perspective chosen: this is a different approach theoretically and practically. This is only reinforced in part three which turns to the functioning of ecosystems. We start with a theoretical viewpoint on the nature of dynamics and the extent to which ecosystems are/are not in 'balance'. Chapter 11 takes a more conventional view in looking at food chains and webs. This is followed in chapter 12 with an overview of biodiversity and the way variations in this can affect ecosystem functions. The author is an aquatic ecologist and many of the examples used have an aquatic theme which is particularly appropriate when looking at themes such as this. Chapter 13 is a very good brief overview of the nutrient cycles. All the standard ones are there but there's also a useful piece on the interaction between the cycles (rather than the usual study of within the cycle). Part four explores global ecology and ecosystems. As with the other parts this starts with a theoretical discussion of the biosphere concept and key global changes. The remainder look primarily at the atmosphere and its effects. Chapter 15 is a straightforward study of the atmospheric cycle. Chapter 16 looks at the evolution of the atmosphere and its interactions with the biosphere (including human input). The final chapter examines the changes in ecosystems due to climatic variation.

This is an intriguing book. It's far from easy to read because of the very different approach it takes to the subject. As such it is not for the student beginner. However, it is the different approach that makes it so refreshing. It forces the reader to look at concepts in a new light and to see if old positions can be maintained. In some ways it's sad to see such differences in approach because we are all looking at the same ecology. There is much the continental European perspective can teach us (and vice versa). One could do far worse than to start the process by reading this excellent text.