Adaptation: reaction AND fore-action
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Adaptation: reaction AND fore-action
Discussion summary
The discussion "Adaptation: reaction or fore-action" and
specifically constructive replies from Charles Welden, Dave
McNeely, David Castellanos, Kevin Hovel, Dan Schmutz, and Lisa
Lomb showed the need to distinguish between two aspects of this
multifaceted concept: adaptation ability and application of this
ability. The ability is certainly a product of the past events.
It includes not only "hardware" such as the eyes, but also a less
appreciated "software" required to analyze visual information,
trigger or curtail the production of phenols to repel insects,
and so on. On the other hand, the application of these abilities
is aimed at the future. Certainly, a deer uses its vision to
avoid an impending danger, just as a plant starts producing
repelling chemicals to forestall future damage.
By discouraging any association between adaptation and the
future, Begon et al. (1986) unduly restricted the meaning of
this concept. While the ability has been acquired in the past, it
is applied to address present and future problems. Adaptation is
valuable not as a relic of the past, but as a tool to deal with
the future. This summary can be further summarized as
Adaptation: reaction AND fore-action.
Boris Zeide
School of Forestry, University of Arkansas
Monticello, AR 71656. USA
Phone: 501-460-1648. Internet: zeide@uamont.edu
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