WSU Philosophy Department Colloquium Series

Wednesday, December 3, 2026

3:30-5:00pm

McKinley Hall 207

"Topographical Constraints and Ecological Units: Where does an ecosystem start and end?"

Dr. Colby Clark, Visiting Assistant Professor, WSU

Abstract: A major concern in the philosophy of ecology is the ecological unit question. The ecological unit question asks: how should the boundaries of an ecological unit be defined? Three views exist that offer metaphysical, epistemological, and geographical responses to the ecological unit question. In this presentation, a novel interpretation of the ecological unit question is proposed that contextualizes ecological units within a field of topological constraints (i.e. physical features in the landscape that filter dispersal processes). The thesis is that topographical constraints are causal in nature.

 

Yummy  snacks provided!