The dark side of theoretical ecology

Abstract

Good science must be clearly transparent in its theories, models and experiments. Earlier David Tilman drew attention to the fact that ecologists investigate interspecific competition phenomenologically, rather than mechanistically. To create a mechanistic model of a complex dynamic system we need to logically describe interactions of its subsystems which lead to emergence of new properties on the macro-level. There are black-box, grey-box and white-box models of complex systems. Black-box models are completely nonmechanistic. We cannot investigate interactions of subsystems of such non-transparent model. A white-box model of a complex system has \"transparent walls\" and directly shows underlined mechanistic mechanisms - all events at micro-, meso-and macro-levels of the modeled dynamic system are directly visible at all stages. Grey-box models are intermediate. Basic ecological models are of black-box type, e.g. Malthusian, Verhulst, Lotka-Volterra models. These models are not individual-based and cannot show features of local interactions of individuals of competing species. That is why they principally cannot provide a mechanistic insight into interspecific competition. To create a white-box model we need a physical theory of the object domain and its intrinsic axiomatic system. On the basis of axiomatic system there is a possibility to logically generate a new knowledge by logical deterministic cellular automata. Understanding of biodiversity mechanisms is the global research priority. Only knowledge of mechanisms of interspecific interactions can allow us to efficiently operate in the field of biodiversity conservation. Obviously that such knowledge must be based on mechanistic models of species coexistence. In order to create a serviceable theory of biodiversity it is necessary to renew attempts to create a basic mechanistic model of species coexistence. But the question arises: Why ecological modelers prefer to use the heaviest black-box mathematical methods which cannot produce mechanistic models of complex dynamic systems in principle, and why they do not use simple and long-known pure logical deterministic cellular automata, which easily can produce white-box models and directly generate clear mechanistic insights into dynamics of complex systems?