EXTREMAL PRINCIPLES WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EXERGY AND ASCENDENCY — THE MODERN APPROACH IN THEORETICAL ECOLOGY

Abstract

Extremal principles or ecological orientors or goal functions are the most modern approach in theoretical ecology. There are many such principles proposed by different theoretical ecologists. In this paper, the most important extremal principles are discussed based on their theoretical backgrounds. Two widely accepted goal functions, i.e. exergy and ascendency are optimized and treated in a quantitative manner in an aquatic ecosystem model of planktonic and fish systems for their appropriateness. In the model varied body sizes of phytoplankton and zooplankton are considered. Parameter values varied according to the allometric principle with the body sizes. For self-organization of the model system two goal functions predict different results, however both are realistic.