Hierarchy theory

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 . 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.

References

• A SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF HIERARCHY THEORY, International Society for the Systems Sciences
• Hierarchy Theory; The Challenge of Complex Systems, Howard Hunt Pattee, International library of systems theory and philosophy, June 1, 1973. ISBN 978-0807606742
• Hierarchy: perspectives for ecological complexity, Allen, T.F.H., and Starr, T.B., University of Chicago Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0226014319