Causality in H -semiotic systems of ecosystems: Routes and tours

The influences (causes and effects) between the variables of an abstract system are considered from a theoretical point of view by authors such as Mesarovic and Takahara [(1989) Abstract Systems Theory (Springer, Berlin)], who employ two notions of causality--non-anticipation and past-determinancy--...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of general systems Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 119 - 130
Main Authors Lloret-Climent, M., Usó-Domènech, J.L., Patten, B.C., Vives-Macià, F.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis Group 01.04.2002
Subjects
Ontological System
Paths
Routes
Semiotic System
System-linkage
Tours
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Summary:The influences (causes and effects) between the variables of an abstract system are considered from a theoretical point of view by authors such as Mesarovic and Takahara [(1989) Abstract Systems Theory (Springer, Berlin)], who employ two notions of causality--non-anticipation and past-determinancy--and by Caselles [(1993) Cybenetics and systems: An international Journal 24 , 305-323], who introduces the concepts of direct and indirect influence. From a practical point of view, in the context of the study of networks within an ecosystem, authors such as Patten et al. and Patten [(1982) Canadian Water Resource Journal 7 (1), 252-282; (1985) Contributions in Systems Ecology 65 , 271-284] have demonstrated that indirect effects between the variables of an ecosystem outweigh direct effects, while Higashi and Patten, Higashi and Burns and Higashi and Nakajima [(1989) The American Naturalist 133 , 288-302; (1991) Theoretical Studies of Ecosystems. The Network Perspective (Cambridge University Press, Oxford); (1995) Mathematical Biosciences 130 , 99-128] have studied indirect effects in ecological interaction networks by means of a chain rule, etc. Taking as a starting point the concept of system-linkage Lloret et al. [(1998) Cybernetics and systems: An international Journal 29 , 29-39] equivalent to Yang's definition [(1989) Cybernetics and Systems: An International Journal 20 , 67-76], the authors have developed a theory of the direct and indirect influences between variables with respect to paths and times in an H -semiotic systems or mathematical models of complex Reality.
ISSN:0308-1079
1563-5104
DOI:10.1080/03081070290017877