Hierarchy theory explained

Hierarchy theory is a means of studying ecological systems in which the relationship between all of the components is of great complexity. Hierarchy theory focuses on levels of organization and issues of scale, with a specific focus on the role of the observer in the definition of the system.^[1] Complexity in this context does not refer to an intrinsic property of the system but to the possibility of representing the systems in a plurality of non-equivalent ways depending on the pre-analytical choices of the observer. Instead of analyzing the whole structure, hierarchy theory refers to the analysis of hierarchical levels, and the interactions between them.

See also

• Biological organisation
• Timothy F. H. Allen
• Deep history
• Big history
• Deep time
• Deep ecology
• Infrastructure-based development
• World-systems theory
• Structuralist economics
• Dependency theory

Further reading

• Ph.D. thesis . Brooks . Daniel Stephen . August 2014 . The concept of levels of organization in the biological sciences . Bielefeld . . 942715109 .
• Eronen . Markus I. . August 2014 . Levels of organization: a deflationary account . . 30 . 1 . 39–58 . 10.1007/s10539-014-9461-z . 145635601 .
• Potochnik . Angela . McGill . Brian J. . January 2012 . The limitations of hierarchical organization . . 79 . 1 . 120–140 . 10.1086/663237 . 663237 . 123858030 .
• Book: Ahl . Valerie . Allen . Timothy F. H. . 1996 . Hierarchy theory: a vision, vocabulary, and epistemology . New York . . 0231084803 . 34149766 .
• Book: Allen . Timothy F. H. . Hoekstra . Thomas W. . 2015 . 1992 . Toward a unified ecology . 2nd . Complexity in ecological systems series . New York . . 9780231168885 . 920475391 .
• Book: O'Neill . Robert V. . Deangelis . Donald Lee . Waide . J. B. . Allen . Timothy F. H. . 1986 . A hierarchical concept of ecosystems . Monographs in population biology . 23 . Princeton, NJ . . 069108436X . 13526197 .
• Book: Allen . Timothy F. H . Starr . Thomas B. . 2017 . 1982 . Hierarchy: perspectives for ecological complexity . 2nd . Chicago . . 978-0226489544 . 967919711 . 10.7208/chicago/9780226489711.001.0001 .
• Guttman . Burton S. . February 1976 . Is 'levels of organization' a useful biological concept? . . 26 . 2 . 112–113 . 10.2307/1297326 . 1297326 .
• Book: Pattee, Howard Hunt . Howard H. Pattee

. Howard H. Pattee . 1973 . Hierarchy theory: the challenge of complex systems . International library of systems theory and philosophy . New York . . 080760674X . 638741 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Allen . Timothy F. H. . 2001 . A summary of the principles of hierarchy theory . https://web.archive.org/web/20011218001638/http://isss.org/hierarchy.htm . 2001-12-18 . 2016-03-19.