Ecological Stoichiometry: The Biology of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere
Ecological Stoichiometry: The Biology of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere
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DOI：
10.1515/9781400885695
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发表时间：
2002-11
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
R. Sterner;J. Elser
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R. Sterner;J. Elser
生物学的不同领域经常被批评为过于短视，不问他们的结果如何融入更大的框架，或者过于宽泛，忽略了重要的细节。一些研究项目现在正试图从简单的微观现象中得出一般性的结论。这对生物学来说是一个巨大的进步，解决了不同方法之间的一些紧张关系。这些领域的合并可能会带来更大的进步。这些新项目中最令人兴奋的项目之一是生态化学计量学（ES），该项目由Sterner和Elser带头。他们最近的书提供了这个发展中领域的概述。通过清晰的阐述，他们解释了分子水平的分析如何对许多宏观层面的生态现象产生广泛的影响。此外，他们将自己的理论与现有数据和新实验的设计紧密联系在一起，从而弥合了生物学中两个分裂观点之间的差距。因此，生态化学计量学包含了这一研究计划急需的概述，以及生物学未来方向的一个很好的例子。斯特纳和埃尔泽使用他们的书的第一部分来发展ES背后的基本思想。最重要的假设是，整个生物体可以被视为一个单一的，非常大的分子。例如，人类可以简化为以下公式：
D ifferent areas in biology are often criticized for being either too myopic and not asking questions about how their results fit into a larger framework or for being too broad and ignoring important details. A few research programs are now attempting to make general claims derived from simple, micro-level phenomena. This is great progress for biology, resolving some of the tensions between different approaches. A merging of these fields may lead to even greater advances. One of the most exciting of these new programs is ecological stoichiometry (ES), which has been spearheaded by Sterner and Elser. Their recent book provides an overview of this developing field. With clear exposition they explain how analysis at the level of molecules can have broad implications for many macro-level ecological phenomena. Moreover, they keep their theory closely tied to available data and to the design of new experiments, thereby bridging the gap between two dividing perspectives in biology. As such, Ecological Stoichiometry contains a much needed overview of this research program as well as a good example of future directions in biology. Sterner and Elser use the first part of their book to develop the essential ideas behind ES. The foremost assumption is that an entire organism can be treated as a single, extremely large molecule. Humans, for example, are reducible to the formula: