BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

EDGE EFFECT 2)5)

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The modifications in the parts of the system close to its boundary resulting from influences of its nearby environment.

This concept relativizes somewhat the one of boundary, specially in ecosystems wherein no boundary can be neatly established. In ecology, the edge of an ecosystem is also called "ecotone".

The effect has been observed, for ex. in isolated forest patches in Amazonia after the clearing of their environment.

B. HOLMES writes: "For the first few years, the forest floor is warmer and drier for at least 60 meters in from the edge… This burst of light and higher temperature has a profound effect on the tree seedlings that dot the forest floor. A lot of these small seedlings will die off, and others that are adapted to drier conditions will take over" (1996, p.36).

However, when the cleared environment returns to more bushy conditions, this edge effect decreases and finally disappears.

Edge effects seem probable in any system composed of a variety of elements whose behavior may respond in different ways to a variety of conditions and become submitted to the influence of a transformed environment.

Edge effects may lead to "ecology-driven speciation" (J. ENDLER, as quoted by K. BROWN, 1999, p.48)

They are probably present in human systems where these conditions sometimes happen.

→ Herd effects

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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