TY - JOUR
T1 - Newtonian boreal forest ecology
T2 - The Scots pine ecosystem as an example
AU - Hari, Pertti
AU - Aakala, Tuomas
AU - Aalto, Juho
AU - Bäck, Jaana
AU - Hollmén, Jaakko
AU - Jõgiste, Kalev
AU - Koupaei, Kourosh Kabiri
AU - Kähkönen, Mika A.
AU - Korpela, Mikko
AU - Kulmala, Liisa
AU - Nikinmaa, Eero
AU - Pumpanen, Jukka
AU - Salkinoja-Salonen, Mirja
AU - Schiestl-Aalto, Pauliina
AU - Simojoki, Asko
AU - Havimo, Mikko
PY - 2017/6/1
Y1 - 2017/6/1
N2 - Isaac Newton's approach to developing theories in his book Principia Mathematica proceeds in four steps. First, he defines various concepts, second, he formulates axioms utilising the concepts, third, he mathematically analyses the behaviour of the system defined by the concepts and axioms obtaining predictions and fourth, he tests the predictions with measurements. In this study, we formulated our theory of boreal forest ecosystems, called NewtonForest, following the four steps introduced by Newton. The forest ecosystem is a complicated entity and hence we needed altogether 27 concepts to describe the material and energy flows in the metabolism of trees, ground vegetation and microbes in the soil, and to describe the regularities in tree structure. Thirtyfour axioms described the most important features in the behaviour of the forest ecosystem. We utilised numerical simulations in the analysis of the behaviour of the system resulting in clear predictions that could be tested with field data. We collected retrospective time series of diameters and heights for test material from 6 stands in southern Finland and five stands in Estonia. The numerical simulations succeeded to predict the measured diameters and heights, providing clear corroboration with our theory.
AB - Isaac Newton's approach to developing theories in his book Principia Mathematica proceeds in four steps. First, he defines various concepts, second, he formulates axioms utilising the concepts, third, he mathematically analyses the behaviour of the system defined by the concepts and axioms obtaining predictions and fourth, he tests the predictions with measurements. In this study, we formulated our theory of boreal forest ecosystems, called NewtonForest, following the four steps introduced by Newton. The forest ecosystem is a complicated entity and hence we needed altogether 27 concepts to describe the material and energy flows in the metabolism of trees, ground vegetation and microbes in the soil, and to describe the regularities in tree structure. Thirtyfour axioms described the most important features in the behaviour of the forest ecosystem. We utilised numerical simulations in the analysis of the behaviour of the system resulting in clear predictions that could be tested with field data. We collected retrospective time series of diameters and heights for test material from 6 stands in southern Finland and five stands in Estonia. The numerical simulations succeeded to predict the measured diameters and heights, providing clear corroboration with our theory.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020751874&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0177927
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0177927
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020751874
VL - 12
SP - 1
EP - 27
JO - PloS one
JF - PloS one
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 6
M1 - e0177927
ER -