[Coral-List] Need citation from older literature

[John McManus]

I recall that a few decades ago I read a statement that said in effect:

 

The most efficient description of an ecosystem  is a list of species and
their abundances.

 

This may have been made at the time when a few extremist ecologists were
questioning why we were bothering to deal with species when carbon (or
energy or nutrients or fatty acids) flow was really all we needed to
understand - maybe in the late 70's or early 80's?   

 

If anyone recalls where the statement was published, please let me know. I
need to cite it.

 

Cheers!

 

John

 

John W. McManus, PhD

Director, National Center for Coral Reef Research (NCORE)

Professor, Marine Biology and Fisheries

Coral Reef Ecology and Management Lab (CREM Lab)

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)

University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, 33149

jmcmanus at rsmas.miami.edu      http://ncore.rsmas.miami.edu/

Phone: 305-421-4814   

 

  "If I cannot build it, I do not understand it."

              --Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate