Boulding ecodynamics

Observing the theory of dynamics of populations from the point of view of chemical kinetics, it is well-known that the celebrated Lotka-Volterra model has both chemical and ecological interpretations. It is quite reasonable that the formal theories of chemical kinetics and of mathematical ecology are highly overlapping. 

Ecodynamics (Boulding, 1978, 1983) motivated by the general system theory tries to become a general theory of ecosystems. 

The ecosystem is the basic concept of Ecodynamics. It can be defined as a set of interacting populations of different species, the population of a species being defined as a set of objects, or elements of some kind, which are similar enough to be 

Having determined the state variables by adopting an appropriate taxonomy, dynamic laws have to be defined  

To define an ecosystem, then, we have to take a bold and dangerous step and just assume that we can define significant species. We have the fact that the total number or quantity of a species, whether of hydrogen atoms, water molecules, horses, automobiles, or persons who believe in the second law of thermodynamics, follows the principle of what I have called the bathtub theorem . It states that the total quantity or population of anything increases by the number of additions less the number of subtractions. Thus, the number of water molecules in a given area increases when hydrogen burns in oxygen (water molecules are born ) and diminishes when the water molecule is dissociated (as, for instance, by an electric current). 

---

Boulding, K. E. (1978). Ecodynamics A new theory of societal evolution. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA. 

---