Macrophysiology : a Conceptual Reunification
Date
2009-09-29
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Chicago Press
Publisher's version
Publisher's version
Abstract
Widespread recognition of the importance of biological
studies at large spatial and temporal scales, particularly in the face
of many of the most pressing issues facing humanity, has fueled the
argument that there is a need to reinvigorate such studies in physiological
ecology through the establishment of a macrophysiology.
Following a period when the fields of ecology and physiological ecology
had been regarded as largely synonymous, studies of this kind
were relatively commonplace in the first half of the twentieth century.
However, such large-scale work subsequently became rather scarce
as physiological studies concentrated on the biochemical and molecular
mechanisms underlying the capacities and tolerances of species.
In some sense, macrophysiology is thus an attempt at a conceptual
reunification. In this article, we provide a conceptual
framework for the continued development of macrophysiology. We
subdivide this framework into three major components: the establishment
of macrophysiological patterns, determining the form of
those patterns (the very general ways in which they are shaped), and
understanding the mechanisms that give rise to them. We suggest
ways in which each of these components could be developed usefully.
Description
CITATION: Gaston, K. J., et al. 2019. Macrophysiology : a conceptual reunification. American Naturalist, 174(5):595-612, doi:10.1086/605982.
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu
Keywords
Macroecology, Biogeography -- Effect of climatic changes on, Evolution, Patterns
Citation
Gaston, K. J., et al. 2019. Macrophysiology : a conceptual reunification. American Naturalist, 174(5):595-612, doi:10.1086/605982