Understanding coral reefs as complex systems: degradation and prospects for recovery

Raymond T. Dizon; Helen T. Yap

doi:10.3989/scimar.2006.70n2219

Autores/as

Raymond T. Dizon The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Philippines
Helen T. Yap The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2006.70n2219

Palabras clave:

complejidad, sistema complejo, resiliencia, robustez, auto-organización, escala

Resumen

El presente siglo es testigo de niveles de degradación sin precedentes de los arrecifes de coral. El conocimiento previo basado en estudios tradicionales no es capaz de entender la dinámica de esta tendencia de degradación. En este contexto, las ideas sobre la complejidad de los arrecifes se revisa en este trabajo. Algunas aproximaciones sobre la complejidad de los arrecifes ya han sido mencionados en la literatura, pero se necesita progresar más y ser más efectivos en la línea de enfoques más holísticos, integrativos y de mayor escala que son, al mismo tiempo, los más aceptados actualmente. En el trabajo distinguimos conceptos de robustez y de resilencia dentro del marco de las perturbaciones, hacemos énfasiz en los mecanismos que confieren propiedad de estabilidad y planteamos ejemplos en los arrecifes de coral. Identificamos algunas fuerzas que gobiernan aspectos críticos para los arrecifes como es la sucesión ecológica y la posible recuperación de los mismos. Finalmente, consideramos cómo los procesos de auto-organización surgen de procesos aparentemente caóticos o al azar y de interacciones que permiten mostrar ciertas regularidades y pautas, especialmente cuando se aumenta la escala espacio temporal de observación.

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Biografía del autor/a

Raymond T. Dizon, The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Philippines

Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.

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