Action principles as determinants of ecosystem structure: the autonomous lake as a reference system. From: Ecology | Date: September 1, 1995| Author: Vanriel, Peter; Johnson, Lionel | COPYRIGHT 1995 Ecological Society of America. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Action in theoretical physics is an abstract quantity describing the overall motion of a system; action has the dimensions of energy x time (in joule-seconds). The Principle of Least Action states that physical systems follow that path for which the action has the least value. By analogy, we hypothesize that, if the principle of least action is universal, ecosystems must be structured on interaction between this principle of least action and an overriding Principle of Most Action. Most action...