Connecting distinct realms along multiple dimensions: A meta-ecosystem resilience perspective

Authors

David G. Angeler, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences & University of Nebraska – LincolnFollow
Jani Heino, University of Oulu
Juan Rubio-Ríos, University of Almería
J. Jesús Casas, University of Granada

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2023

Citation

Published in Science of the Total Environment 889 (2023) 164169

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164169

Comments

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. Used by permission.

Abstract

Resilience research is central to confront the sustainability challenges to ecosystems and human societies in a rapidly changing world. Given that social-ecological problems span the entire Earth system, there is a critical need for resilience models that account for the connectivity across intricately linked ecosystems (i.e., freshwater, marine, terrestrial, atmosphere). We present a resilience perspective of meta-ecosystems that are connected through the flow of biota, matter and energy within and across aquatic and terrestrial realms, and the atmosphere. We demonstrate ecological resilience sensu Holling using aquatic-terrestrial linkages and riparian ecosystems more generally. A discussion of applications in riparian ecology and meta-ecosystem research (e.g., resilience quantification, panarchy, meta-ecosystem boundary delineations, spatial regime migration, including early warning indications) concludes the paper. Understanding meta-ecosystem resilience may have potential to support decision making for natural resource management (scenario planning, risk and vulnerability assessments).