MOSAIC

Charles François (2004). MOSAIC, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 2211.

Collection	International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
Year	2004
Vol. (num.)	2(2)
ID	◀ 2211 ▶
Object type	Methodology or model

A patchy spatial distribution of elements or conditions of different classes in an environment.

This type of situation happens in mostly heterogeneous and not strongly hierarchic and integrated environments, as for example ecosystems, sociosystems and global economic systems.

It is conducive to variety and resilience.

Mosaics correspond to:

- heterogeneity of sets of elements endowed with different characteristics.

- fluctuating and shifting occupancy of specific territories .

However a more general homogeneous common substrate or medium is a requisite.

Ecosystems , offering a wide variety of local conditions, are normally mosaics. It can be also the case of socio-technical and cultural systems .

See also