Ecosystems and Social Systems as Complex Adaptive Systems by Jim Zhou https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2 en-us 2022-03-08 21:24:12 UTC 2022-04-25 16:11:55 UTC hello@padlet.com Emergent properties jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084935574 Emergent properties mean the property does not exist in any single element, but the system manifests when the low level constitutes the high level, so people call it "emergent" vividly. The reason why the system function is often expressed as "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is because of the emergence of new qualities in the system, of which "greater than the parts" is the emerging new qualities. This emergent nature of the system is the result of nonlinear interactions between the adaptive agents of the system.
Emergence is a transition from a low level to a high level. It is a mutation in the performance and organization of the macro system on the basis of the evolution of the microscopic subject. In this process, new quality can be generated from old quality.]]> 2022-03-08 22:25:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084935574 three significant examples of emergent properties in detail jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084939811
  • Self-organization.
  • Stability domains.
  • Complex system cycles.

    • ]]>     2022-03-08 22:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084939811     Self-organization jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084940651 2022-03-08 22:31:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084940651 Stability domains jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084941350 Ecosystems and social systems have a tension between forces that resist change (negative feedback) and forces that promote change (positive feedback). Negative feedback keeps essential parts of the system within the limits required for them to function together, while positive feedback provides the capacity to make large changes if necessary. Negative feedback may dominate at some times and positive feedback may dominate at other times, depending on the situation. As a result, ecosystems and social systems may stay more or less the same for long periods, but they can also change very suddenly. The changes can be like a ‘switch’. ‘Switching’ is an emergent property of all complex adaptive systems, including ecosystems and social systems.]]> 2022-03-08 22:32:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084941350 Complex system cycles jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084941890 Ecosystems and social systems change in two ways:

    1. Progressive change due to internal self-organizing assembly processes.
    2. A sudden change from one stability domain to another because of external disturbance.
    "The progressive and sudden changes combine to form a complex system cycle. ‘Growth’ is a time dominated by positive feedback and self-organizing assembly processes. It is a time of expansion and increasing complexity. ‘Equilibrium’ is a time of stability. The system has reached a high level of complexity and connection between its parts. Negative feedback predominates. The system may become rigid and seemingly indestructible, but stagnation and a lack of flexibility may eventually make the system vulnerable to destruction by an external disturbance. ‘Dissolution’ is when the system is destroyed by an external disturbance. Positive feedback generates dramatic change, and the system falls apart. It is pushed out of its stability domain. ‘Reorganization’ is a time when the system begins to recover from falling apart. It is a creative time when change can take a variety of possible directions; that is, the system has the possibility of moving into a variety of new stability domains. ‘Chance’ can be important to the way a system reorganizes, determining which new stability domain it enters. The growth stage that follows reorganization depends on the course initiated during reorganization." (Marden, 2010)

    ]]>     2022-03-08 22:33:02 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084941890     Hierarchical Organization jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084946008 from molecules and cells to individual organisms, populations and ecosystems. Every individual plant and animal is a collection of cells; every population is a collection of individual organisms of the same species; and every ecosystem consists of populations of different species. The most important levels of biological organization for human ecology are populations and ecosystems.]]> 2022-03-08 22:37:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084946008 jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084950620 Marten, G. G. 2010. Chapter 4: Ecosystems and social systems as complex adaptive systems. Human ecology: Basic concepts for sustainable development, pp. 42-59. London, UK: Routledge. http://gerrymarten.com/human-ecology/chapter04.html#p4]]> 2022-03-08 22:42:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084950620 Reading Summary jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084956362 In this chapter, Marten talks about the emergent properties and hierarchical organization from the ecosystems and Social systems perspectives. Comparing the two systems from individual to group, from micro to macro to seek insights for sustainable development.]]> 2022-03-08 22:49:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084956362 In simple organisms jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084998722 For instance: The emergent properties in simple organisms could be growth, development of different tissues and organs, homeostasis, reproduction, and death. ]]> 2022-03-08 23:39:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2084998722 In population and ecosystem jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085004790 The emergent properties in population could be ‘growth’, ‘regulation’ or ‘development’.
    The sigmoid curve for population growth, population regulation, genetic evolution, and social organization are examples of emergent properties at the population level of organization. 
    Individuals and groups will influence each other and regulate each other]]>     2022-03-08 23:46:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085004790     Counterintutive behavior jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085012643 One of the emergent properties in ecosystems and social systems is counterintuitive behavior.
    The reason caused the counterintuitive behavior is the complex connections and feedback could cause the consequence people cannot predict as their limited vision and horizon. Just like a ‘thinking’ red blood cell in a person’s bloodstream. "From its travels around the body, the red blood cell is quite familiar with the different parts of the body - the brain, the eye, and so on - but it is very difficult for it to comprehend vision, thoughts, emotions, and activities that come from the body as a whole. People, as a small part of ecosystems and social systems, have the same difficulty comprehending ecosystems and social systems."]]>     2022-03-08 23:55:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085012643     In social system jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085057144 The emergent properties in the human social system shape the ways in which people interact with ecosystems. In the article, Marten mentioned two emergent properties in the human social system.
    1.  Distortion of information: errors accumulate as information passes through a social network
    2.  Denial: Due to personal standpoint or bias, refuse to recognize or accept the truth when it conflicts with existing beliefs. Selective filtering of information helps to protect existing belief systems of individuals and shared belief systems of society.]]>     2022-03-09 00:35:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085057144     Self-organization of biological communities jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085077935 "Selection of those species, and their organization into a food web, happens by a process known as community assembly. Assembly in this context means ‘joining or fitting parts together. The community assembly process is an emergent property of ecosystems."(Marden, 2010)
    There three rules of self-organization of biological communities:
    1. It is adapted to the physical conditions at the site and can survive throughout the year.
    2. The site has the right kind of food, and there is enough food and water for the newly arriving plant or animal species to grow and reproduce. (Births must exceed deaths when the population is small.) For plants, the food is water and mineral nutrients in the soil, plus sunshine. For animals, food is particular species of plants or animals that they can eat. A newly arriving species will not survive if its food supply is reduced too much by competing for plants or animals already at the site and utilizing the same food sources.
    3. If the site already has animals that can eat the newly arriving species, the newly arriving species must have the ability to avoid being eaten too much. Deaths cannot exceed births.
    ]]>     2022-03-09 00:51:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085077935     Self-organization of social systems jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085078222 "The way the assembly process works in social systems can be illustrated by commercial activities. When someone starts a new business, the survival of the business can depend upon rules such as the following." (Marden, 2010)

    • The business is adapted to the community.(Marden, 2010)

    • There is demand for the products or services of the business.(Marden, 2010)

    • The business can generate enough customers to produce a profit. There are not competing businesses that provide the same product or service to such an extent that there are insufficient customers or the price of the product or service is too low to make a profit.(Marden, 2010)

    • The business has a good supply source of what it needs to make its products or provide its services. The cost of these inputs is not larger than the income of the business.(Marden, 2010)

    ]]>     2022-03-09 00:52:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085078222     jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085135636 2022-03-09 01:37:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085135636 jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085139832 2022-03-09 01:41:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085139832 jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085144538 2022-03-09 01:45:22 UTC https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2085144538 Question: What emergent properties example in Sustainability you know? jimzhou0117 https://padlet.com/jimzhou0117/cr5s7isyq94ryfd2/wish/2089340562 For example, when shopping for clothes, if only a few people prefer sustainable clothes, it will not affect the clothing industry. But if sustainable clothing becomes a fashion and takes the world by storm, it could quickly boost the sustainable clothing industry.

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