A herd of horses (or any other large hoofed animal) is an example of a complex adaptive system. The herd works as one to avoid predators, protect the young, obtain food and water, etc. The individuals interact with the environment and the herd interacts for survival. This meets the characteristics of a CAS in that the herd is made up of individuals, the individuals follow simple rules (survival), and if elements of the system are altered (being chased by a predator), the system adapts or reacts.
When thinking of CASs I automatically go to the intricate idea of atoms and how we define them as solids, liquids and gases, even plasma all the while knowing that the atom themselves are mostly empty space with electrons moving around so quickly that they generate a solid space.
Perhaps a star’s life-cycle would be the best example of a Complex Adaptive System. There are patterns which are predictable in which a star is created and then ends.
I’ve been reading Dr. Art’s Guide to Science and learning more about how Earth Science has many systems within systems. For example, our spheres are systems that rely on each other to maintain the balance on Earth. We need to learn more about the system interactions and the effects that humans are having before it is too late, hopefuly it is not too late!
Ecosystems are examples of complex adaptive systems.
The predator-prey relationship is an example of a complex adaptive system. The members of each of these groups affects the other, with a distinct and observable pattern of increasing and decreasing population sizes becoming evident over several generations.
I’ve taught both physical and life science. In physical science, I think of the movement of molecules in a substance and how they change with the addition or removal of heat. In life science, I tend to think of diffusion of molecules as well as several concepts in ecology from pollination, to predator/prey scenarios, to migration.
Plant biology was a large part of a recent project at my school. I would imagine that root structures and plant growth are examples of complex adaptive system, each growing in connection with other resources and environmental conditions.
Can we change any of the rules? I’d imagine that instead of moving toward the center, roots and leaves move toward resources instead.
I’m not completely sure if this would work or not, but I’m thinking about different gas laws and the behavior of gases under different conditions. For example in a closed system, if the temperature of a gas increases, the pressure of the gas will increase.
Hi sekingernc,
I was thinking about your plant (root structures & plant growth) example, it would be interesting to compare and contrast different complex adaptive systems in different ecosystems; for example how does the root structure of a tree change in a desert ecosystem compared to an artic ecosystem or rainforest ecosystem?
A Complex systems that I taught was a lab activity where my students participated in a simulation of a disease spreading throughtout a population. Patterns emerged and the system spontaneously generated a well defined entity.
Weather. When we discuss weather we identify patterns in the weather, that is a characteristic of complex adaptive systems.
Some animal migrations where they migrate in groups. It seems to meet all of the requirements of a complex adaptive system as long as the migratory group has no real leader guiding the group and its members.
Also the movement of objects in space due to gravity.
The spread of a forest fire I believe is an example of a complex adaptive system.
In physical science, the composition of matter will contain certain physical and chemical properties. Physical combinations of substances may not have any set of rules; however, the outcome of the physical composition may result in a new substance that has totally different properties than other matter that may contain the same substances but in different combinations. As a result, the matter may have different chemical properties as well.
As a physical science teacher, I can see the addition or subtraction of heat and how it affects the movement of particles as being an example.
Wow! This is an excellent project. I also teach 6th science, in Virginia, and I’ve been trying to think of ways to enrich my watershed unit. This sounds like a fantastic idea!
In my 6th grade curriculum, I teach about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and how impacts to the local river systems can have an impact on the estuary in Chesapeake Bay. To me, this is an example of a CAS. For example, how the introduction of an invasive species like the Blue Catfish has had unpredictable implications in the Bay. I guess this is a specific example from my curriculum about how ecosystems in general are complex adaptive systems.
In life science many things apply, bird movement in migration, mating rituals of different living organisms (ex. snakes - emerging patterns).