Geoscience Reference
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Figure 1.8. Types of ecosystem response to a change in environmental condition
(taken from [SCH 01])
C OMMENTARY ON F IGURE 1.8.- (a) Environmental condition varying
gradually over time (for example, temperature, supply of nutrients or
contaminants). (b)-(d): three types of ecosystem responses to these
changes. (b) Continuous, gradual transition: the state of the ecosystem
varies gradually in response to the change in the environmental
condition. (c) Continuous, abrupt transition: the ecosystem's response
becomes abrupt, and therefore less predictable but remains reversible.
(d) Discontinuous transition (or catastrophic transition): the state of
the system varies little until a threshold value for the environmental
condition is reached. The ecosystem then swings to another state and
then another mode of functioning.
Because of the ecosystems' diversity, the resilience of a
community should be assessed while taking account of other stress
factors such as climate change and/or invasive species [ADA 05a].
Thus, Kaufman [KAU 82] has reported that the communities
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