Chapter 1 - A Systems Engineer’s Perspective

Abstract

This chapter describes my view of the systems engineering skill set, the systems approach, and the associated systems perspectives that can be very beneficially applied to understanding highly complex natural systems. The vehicle for accomplishing this is my systems engineering skills framework. The framework defines the systems engineering domain, and then addresses the four key skill areas: engineering technical methods, system development skills, systems thinking, and communication skills. Engineering technical methods include mathematical methods, empirical methods, and computer simulation. System development skills include system design, system modeling, and system architecting. The major elements of systems thinking are iterative synthesis and analysis, network thinking, and the systems triad. Necessary communication skills are also discussed. Application of these skills to ecological systems is not a giant leap. In the spirit of the systems approach, it is a reasonable and prudent pursuit.