On the Quantitative Dominance of Indirect Effects in Ecosystems

System structure and function analyses of a small scale compartment model of energy flow in an oyster reef ecosystem indicate that, between any two components, indirect effects are quantitatively dominant over direct causal interactions.

Abstract

System structure and function analyses of a small scale compartment model of energy flow in an oyster reef ecosystem indicate that, between any two components, indirect effects are quantitatively dominant over direct causal interactions. These dominant indirect influences are expressed over paths of great lengths, underscoring the significance of long term, rather than short term, phenomena in ecosystems.