ESD Ideas: Structures dominate the functioning of Earth systems, but their dynamics are not well represented

Abstract. Many fluxes in Earth systems are not homogeneously distributed across space, but occur highly concentrated in structures, such as turbulent eddies, river networks, vascular networks of plants, or human-made infrastructures. Yet, the highly-organized nature of these fluxes is typically only described at a rudimentary level, if at all. We propose that it requires a novel approach to describe these structures that focuses on the work done to build and maintain these structures, and the feedbacks that they cause on a system’s ability to perform work, which requires placing these structures into their environmental Earth system context.