DISTRIBUTION (Clustered)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 963 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
H.T. ODUM writes (refering himself to ecosystems): “Individual plant species are not evenly spread but are concentrated in zones according to their specialized adaptations to local conditions. More than one species is interspersed in the same kind of environment, because networks need diverse pathways… Random distributions are rare” (1971, p.72).
ODUM observes, moreover, that consumers, such as “ants, antelopes and people” tend to become clustered, “… because their complex functions are favored by grouping” (Ibid).
All this is related to the ways flows of energy circulate within the environment and to their progressive concentration into systems of a higher level of complexity, which prove more apt to capture them.
The concept is related to LOTKA's 'world engine' and to hexagonal distribution in human settlements.