Energy flows in complex ecological systems: a review

Energy flow drives the complex systems to evolve. The allometric scaling as the universal energy flow pattern has been found in different scales of ecological systems. It reflects the general power law relationship between flow and store. The underlying mechanisms of energy flow patterns are explained as the branching transportation networks which can be regarded as the result of systematic optimization of a biological target under constraints. Energy flows in the ecological system may be modelled by the food web model and population dynamics on the network. This paper reviews the latest progress on the energy flow patterns, explanatory models for the allometric scaling and modelling approach of flow and network evolution dynamics in ecology. Furthermore, the possibility of generalizing these flow patterns, modelling approaches to other complex systems is discussed.