5 Using Ecology to Quantify Organization in Fluid Flows

Abstract

Numerous applications of variational principles derived from physical thermodynamics have been made to the description of developmenti nl ivings ys-tems. Whiles ome have met with varying degrees of success, it appears none of the measures from classical thermodynamics adequately incorporates the roles of intrinsics ystem constraints into ar obust description of bioticd evelopment. The flown etwork measure ascendency,t herefore, has been formulated to express more explicitlyt he constraints immanenti ne cosystem trophic exchanges. Ascendency has wide applicabilitya nd can be used as well to provide am easure of the overall degree of organization inherenti nap urely physical flowfi eld, sucha sr ates of energy exchange. It can also be employedt op inpointt he bottlenecks that control the fluid flowfi eld.