Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Nevertheless, the modeling presented here encourages some important
pause for sober reflection before taking any action.This is because it forces
one to ask critical “what if ” questions.The insights from theory coupled
with empirical evidence presented in this chapter begin to reveal that the
consequences of human impacts can cascade through myriad pathways in
highly interconnected networks of species.The consequences of these ef-
fects may take decades to centuries to fully play themselves out. Possibly it
may take equally long periods, if ever, to reverse these effects.
