Qualitative patterns and processes in marine ecology: a conceptual programme
Roger Bradbury, Green Dg, RE Reichelt · Marine Ecology Progress Series · 1986
Since ecosystem organization is a qualitative phenomenon, ecological pattern and process, its static and dynamic manifestations, are best captured as qualitative models.However, ecological methodology is overwhelmingly quantitative in orientationa reflection not only of the transfer to ecology of the physical sciences paradigm, but also of the paucity of qualitative techniques.We argue that avenues now exist for the rapid exploitation of the qualitative approach.This holds the potential both of modelling ecological systems in terms of intrinsically relevant variables and of creating an independent ecological paradigm.