Ecological systems should inform the development of digital network, processes, and tools. These new systems will appear as abstractions of systems that occur in nature. The greatest impact will be from learning how natural systems evolve and regenerate and applying that kind of thinking to man-made systems.

Time is a factor in ecological systems. The longer one waits, the more change one is likely to see. Depending on the size of the time frame, you may not see anything change.

Time appears to not matter in the digital realm. Events seem to happen instantaneously or can be programmed to increase or decrease in speed.

This difference in how we see time is important because it affects how we perceive space and distance. It affects how we experience our environment.

Digital tools enable people to model and visualize the past, present, and future. People now have the ability to better understand the impact of their actions business, financial, medical, and urban systems, for instance.

Incredible progress will be made when cities, organizations, and businesses start to see themselves as part of an ecosystem where everyone is connected.

The ecological basis for the design of simple and complex systems is a strong one —it has been continually tested for millions of years in nature.