402 



CONCLUDING STATEMENT 



community level. Many attributes or features of life 

 become less variable, perhaps we might say less com- 

 plex, as one proceeds from individual to population 

 to community. In addition, the interrelations of life 

 and environment, the ecosystem, tends to be least 

 variable in these certain attributes. Examples of such 

 attributes include phenomena related to energy pro- 

 duction and consumption because compensation 

 and regulation act as checks and balances (steady 

 state mechanisms). In the ecosystem these mecha- 

 nisms normally allow less variation than at any other 

 level of the life spectrum. Even the physical environ- 



ment is affected. For example, atmospheric gases, 

 endotherm temperature, population size and func- 

 tion, climax components, and ecosystem energy 

 cycles tend to display, in sequence, progressively 

 more regulation and compensation, hence greater 

 efficiency of steady state mechanism and greater 

 stability. 



Equilibrium and synergism were discussed at length. 

 Both were related to all aspects and levels of nature. 

 Perhaps their most meaningful, definitely their most 

 inclusive relationships, are with the universe as a 

 whole. 



