How to predict the evolution of ecosystems is one of the numerous questions asked of
ecologists by managers and politicians. To answer this we will need to give a scientific …

Hydrocarbon seeps, deep sea extreme environments where deeply sourced fluids
discharge at the seabed, occur along continental margins across the globe. Energy-rich …

In this paper we explore the relevance and integration of system theory and thermodynamics
in terms of the Earth system. It is proposed that together, these fields explain the evolution …

To describe the underlying processes involved in oceanic plankton dynamics is crucial for
the determination of energy and mass flux through an ecosystem and for the estimation of …

The maximum entropy production principle (MEPP) was repeatedly and independently
proposed in the mid-20th century in various fields of physics and proved to be extremely …

Microbial activity mediates the fluxes of greenhouse gases. However, in the global models of
the marine and terrestrial biospheres used for climate change projections, typically only …

Transformation and mobilization of bioessential elements in the biosphere, lithosphere,
atmosphere, and hydrosphere constitute the Earth's biogeochemical cycles, which are …

Spatial organization is the norm rather than the exception in the microbial world. While the
study of microbial physiology has been dominated by studies in well-mixed cultures, there is …

Optimality concepts related to energy and entropy have long been proposed to govern Earth
system processes, for instance in the form of propositions that certain processes maximize or …

Bioenergetics deals with the very first energy transformation steps performed by living cells.
Increased dissipation is the primary effect of processing external energy packages. Enzyme …