Biocomplexity

Moore MN (2002) Biocomplexity The post-genome challenge in ecotoxicology. Aquat Toxicol 59 1-15... 

To measure the force-extension law of a small biomolecule, these authors employed a two-step strategy. First, the background repulsive force-distance profile, in the absence of biomolecules, Fbg(h), is measured, h being the interparticle spacing. Then, once the biocomplexes have been properly attached within each interval between colloids, the same measurement is repeated, allowing determination of the force-distance profile of this irreversible assembly The force / >(/t)... 

Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada The sciences of complexity... 

There is no general consensus on why the difference in the quantum yield of photosubstitutions is so large for 02-adducts (4> 10 3) and CO-adducts and on which excited states are responsible for this difference. An explanation based on a different efficiency of the recoordination of released 02 or CO molecules (geminate recombination) can be ruled out, as in the systems with the same biocomplex (e.g. Hb02 and HbCO) both molecules (02 and CO) have nearly identical escaping probability from the protein cage due to their similar size, mass and polarity. The reason could, therefore, lie in the different photoreactive excited states involved. 

Study of relationships between vital activity, biocomplexity, and evolution of the NSS using global modeling technology. Development of units of the global model to describe the laws and trends in the environment that lead to the appearance of stress situations brought on by human economic or political activity. 

Biocomplexity is a characteristic feature of all systems of the environment connected with life. The ways in which this is manifested are studied within the framework of the theory of stability and vitality of ecosystems. Note that biocomplexity includes indicators of the extent to which interacting systems modify each other, and this means that biocomplexity should be studied by considering both the spatial and biological levels of its organization. The difficulty of this problem is explained by the complicated behavior of the object under study, especially when the human factor is considered, due to which the number of stress situations in the environment is constantly growing. Within this study the Arctic systems are considered as NSS sub-systems. 

It is clear that = (geographical latitude and longitude, respectively, and t is the current time. For territory Q the biocomplexity indicator is defined as a mean value ... 

The value n(zj, t) calculated by Formula (6.30) reflects the topological structure of matrix X(i,j, t). Consequently, there exist n = N M matrices and biocomplexity indicators to characterize BSS biocomplexity. Within the computer experiment a set of numerical characteristics of the BSS biocomplexity arises, distributed in space and time. Integrated BSS biocomplexity indicators can be calculated for any arbitrary... 

This can be the average BSS biocomplexity by zone of longitude or latitude, by ocean or sea aquatory, by country or state territory, etc. 

Let us consider the following components of the Okhotsk Sea ecosystem mentioned in Table 6.21. The trophic pyramid X = vy, where xtj is a binary value equal to 1 or 0 under the existence or absence of a nutritive correlation between the z th and y th components, respectively. Let us define the biocomplexity as a function ... 

Table 6.21. Trophic pyramid of the Okhotsk Sea ecosystem considered in calculations of the biocomplexity indicator. 

Table 6.22. Estimates of the biocomplexity indicator for different layers in the spring-summer season and in winter.

This section introduced a methodology to move from a verbal description of biocomplexity to its numerical representation. In future studies it will be necessary to take into consideration bottom relief, climate trends, ice field dynamics, detailed components of the trophic pyramid, bottom sediments, and the structure of currents. Also, it will be necessary to add to Formula (6.31) elements describing anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystem considered in a socio-economic sense. 

Kondratyev K.Ya. and Krapivin V.F. (2001a). Biocomplexity and global geoinformation monitoring. Earth Research from Space (Moscow), 1, 3-10 [in Russian],... 

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