Clementsian

English

Etymology

From Clements +‎ -ian.

Adjective

Clementsian (comparative more Clementsian, superlative most Clementsian)

1. Of or relating to Frederic Clements (1874-1945), American plant ecologist and pioneer in the study of vegetation succession.
2. (more specifically) Adhering to an ecological model that emphasizes an orderly progression of species as an ecosystem matures.
   • 1986, Robert P. McIntosh, The Background of Ecology: Concept and Theory, →ISBN, page 82:

     Tobey (1981) traced the rise and presumed fall of Clementsian ecology in grassland ecology.

   • 1992, Joel Bartholemew Hagen, An Entangled Bank: The Origins of Ecosystem Ecology, →ISBN, page 82:

     To understand the origin of the ecosystem concept, it is important to consider in greater detail Tansley's critical attitude toward Clementsian ecology.

   • 1999, Beth Middleton, Wetland Restoration, Flood Pulsing, and Disturbance Dynamics, →ISBN, page 70:

     Not surprisingly, Australians, the originators of the vital attributes idea, never followed Clementsian succession because disturbance, particularly fire, was such an overpowering influence in their scapes (Noble and Slatyer, 1977).

Noun

Clementsian (plural Clementsians)

1. One who follows the ideology of Frederic Clements.
   • 1981, Ronald C. Tobey, “A. G. Tansley: A British Critic of Clementsian Theory, 1905-1935”, in Saving the Prairies: The Life Cycle of the Founding School of American Plant Ecology, 1895-1955:

     We are not surprised to learn that Britain's leading Clementsian was a philosopher by temperament.