Evolution and Ecology
Modern approaches to describing complex adaptive systems need to account for nonlinear feedbacks, non-equilibrium dynamics, discontinuities and break points, collective phenomena, systemic transitions, behavioral dynamics, as well as multi-level and multi-scale interactions among processes and agents.
Ecology is the quintessential systems science, dealing with such complex challenges in a holistic way. This approach is complemented by studies of adaptation and evolution, which account for the ubiquitous capacity of agents to alter their features and interactions in response to environmental change. Theoretical physics contributes advanced mathematical and computational tools to the mix of methodologies that is characteristic of EEP’s research.
EEP is building bridges between fundamental and policy-oriented, theoretical and empirical, biological and mathematical, and analytical and numerical approaches to the systems analysis of living systems:
- Research on the Integrated assessment of fishery systems and on Evolutionarily sustainable consumption examine options and challenges for the development of aquatic food resources (Food and Water).
- Work on the Equitable governance of common goods investigate how top-down regulations for managing common goods or open-access resources can be improved by integrative assessments of stakeholder conflicts and by scaling up successful characteristics of self-organized and resilient bottom-up governance (Poverty and Equity).
- Studies on the Eco-evolutionary dynamics of living systems, on Systemic risk and network dynamics, and on Evolutionary vegetation modeling and management open up new methodological avenues for the applied systems analysis of biodiversity, tangled interactions, and ecosystem dynamics (Advanced Systems Analysis).
- Furthermore, the last project’s process-based modeling approach will enable novel features in next-generation dynamic global vegetation models, which are instrumental for assessing climate impacts (Energy and Climate Change).
Together, these projects show how innovative methods inspired by the dynamics of living systems can invigorate and integrate key facets of modern applied systems analysis.
