Unity in ecology? [Elektronische Ressource] : an investigation of patterns, problems, and unifying concepts of population ecology, systems ecology and evolutionary ecology / vorgelegt von Arend Mittwollen

UNITY IN ECOLOGY? AN INVESTIGATION OF PATTERNS, PROBLEMS, AND UNIFYING CONCEPTS OF POPULATION ECOLOGY, SYSTEMS ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY Dissertation zur Erlangung des Dr. phil. am Studiengang Philosophie der Universität Bremen vorgelegt von Dipl. Biol. Arend Mittwollen, M.A. Bremen, April 2002 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 CONCEPTS OF UNIFICATION IN SCIENCE...................................................................................... 5 1.2 CONCEPTS OF UNIFICATION IN BIOLOGY................................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Scientific Particularities of Biology..................................................................................... 11 1.2.2 Philosophical Approach to Biology ..................................................................................... 13 1.2.3 Unity and Reductionism in Biology...................................................................................... 15 1.3 UNIFYING CONCEPTS IN ECOLOGY............................................................................................ 18 2 PATTERNS AND PROBLEMS OF CONTEMPORARY ECOLOGY..................................... 23 HE IELD OF NVESTIGATION IN COLOGY XAMPLES AND XPLICATION2.1 T F I E : E E ............................. 23 2.