Entropic Ecology The Role of Ecosystems as Dissipative Structures

a novel framework—Entropic Ecology—to understand ecosystems as large-scale dissipative structures that actively regulate planetary entropy. By framing ecosystems not merely as biological networks but as thermodynamic agents, this theory offers an integrated model that connects biodiversity, energy flow, and climate equilibrium. Drawing from thermodynamics, non-equilibrium systems theory, and complexity science, the paper argues that forests, oceans, and microbial ecologies are not only participants in energy exchange but active entropy-managing entities that maintain planetary homeostasis. As entropy increases across Earth's socio-natural systems, disruptions in these ecological dissipative structures lead to extreme climate feedbacks, biodiversity collapse, and systemic instability. This perspective reveals that sustainability is not just about reducing carbon emissions, but maintaining the entropy-regulating function of ecosystems. The paper further explores how anthropogenic activities alter this regulation and how restoring dissipative ecological patterns (e.g., rewilding, wetland revival, permaculture) may act as strategic entropy-balancing mechanisms. The concept of Entropic Ecology offers a powerful thermodynamic interpretation of environmental sustainability, pointing toward a systemic understanding of planetary resilience and long-term development under increasing energetic disorder.