Ecosystems: Reacting to catastrophe

A review of the responses of ecosystems facing change comes to a surprising conclusion. Ecosystems, from lakes, coral reefs and oceans to forests and arid lands, can shift abruptly from one regime to a very different alternative stable state. Such shifts are often triggered by major events, but the underlying cause is often a loss of resilience due to slow processes such as climate change and pond or lake eutrophication. So it may be cheaper and more practical to focus conservation efforts on maintaining resilience in such systems than to follow the common practice of controlling disturbance.

Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems
MARTEN SCHEFFER, STEVE CARPENTER, JONATHAN A. FOLEY, CARL FOLKE & BRIAN WALKER
Nature 413, 591-596 (11 October 2001)
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11 October 2001 table of contents