Re: Does anyone have information...

["Dan Fiscus" <***>]

Judith,

I know a bit about Buzz Holling, who I would call a highly
respected as well as boldly innovative elder statesman of
ecological science. Don't really know Pacala. Holling has
worked on biomath problems such as the cyclic pattern of
spruce and spruce budworm infestation. He has written a
monograph on "Cross-scale morphology" in ecology that
includes an idea of "ecological quanta". He is leader of a
fairly radical and creative group called the Resilience
Alliance, who publish the free web journal Conservation
Ecology. He is famous for a "figure 8" diagram depicting a
recurring cycle of change in ecosystems in a changing
environment, with major disturbances, involving
reorganization, exploitation, conservation, release and
back to reorganization. An photocopy of this conceptual
model is here:

http://al.umces.edu/~fiscus/research/images/cycling/holling150.jpg

He has co-written a book called Panarchy that seems to
suggest (I've only skimmed so far) that control is from all
scales within complex systems, not a single scale and not
just from top-down, not just from bottom-up. They also
invoke the god Pan to name the theory, which to me is like
throwing in with Lovelock and validating the use of
persona/gods/mythical figures as a way to label theories
(and not invalidating them due to teleological hidden
agendas). The main point here is that he seems bold and
not afraid to rock any and all boats of the "entrenched
orthodoxy" of science.

Holling is one of many of my ecosystem science heroes. I'd
vote for him!! I think he could definitely "get" Rosen
complexity in theory and could even link it to many real
world cases in complex systems - natural ecosystems as well as
human organizations (which Panarchy also covers).

Dan

Judith Rosen wrote:
> I have had a report from Columbia U. Press that the republication of
> Life, Itself in paperback is again postponed-- to autumn of 2004. Also,
> they are thinking of adding a forward to the book, written by either of
> two men whose names I do not recognize. I have done some research on
> both, and as part of that research, I would like to ask the list
> subscribers whether you have any information on these individuals.
> Specifically, are either or both of them "qualified" to speak
> authoritatively about Rosennean Complexity? If you have some information
> and don't feel comfortable posting it on the list, by all means please
> contact me directly. The names are Buzz Holling (Retired from University
> of Florida) and Steve Pacala (at Princeton).
>
> Thanks, folks.
>
> Judith