[MUD-Dev] ... forests and ecologies.

[coder at ibm.net]

On 30/11/97 at 09:39 AM, Mike Sellers <mike at online-alchemy.com> said:

>To some degree I agree.  Most stable systems are also brittle: introduce
>a new variable and things go all haywire.  Systems that are more
>flexible, more close to 'living' systems, tend to be in continual,
>dynamic, homeostatic equilibrium (like the water molecules moving from
>water to ice and ice to water at the same rate, or like your heart rate
>increasing with activity, but not linearily with it).  Such systems tend
>to deal with the introduction of new factors more easily than do more
>brittle ones; things may change, but not instantly, discontinuously, or
>without recourse.  For example, introducing a great new predator into an
>area typically won't mean that that predator will "take over" the area --
>even it is governed by its food supply, how it disposes of its waste,
>what can decompose it, what its life-cycle patterns are, etc.  Each of
>these limit how "effective" the new creature can be in the environment
>(despite what the "Alien" movies tell us :) ).  

There are exceptions, such as the brown tree snake which was imported into
the islands and has resulted in the near total dissappearance of all
birdlife in the islands, or rabbits in Australia (and the resulting
artificial introduction of Myxamytosis), or even of the Prickly Pear
cactus in Australia with its utter lack of predators, or the introduction
of African Tilapia and Sarotherodon species to the Florida waterways
resulting in the enar extinction of all netive fish species for the same
waters...and the list goes on.

Yes, your general point is correct, however there are limits to
adaptability, and not infrequently that adaptability is at the price of
significant sacrifice by the system.

>This is the kind of thing I'd love to see more of in muds.  Back to work.
>:)

Agreed.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...