Knowra Ecosystem collapse Ecosystem collapse Ecosystem collapse is a severe, persistent loss of an ecosystem’s characteristic structure, functions, and capacity to support its native species. It can follow gradual pressures or abrupt disturbances.
Ecological threshold : A point at which a small change in environmental conditions triggers a large shift in an ecological system. Crossing a threshold can turn accumulating stress into rapid ecosystem change.
Biodiversity : The variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems, together with the ecological relationships among them. Loss of species and ecological variety is a major dimension of collapse.
IUCN Red List of Ecosystems : A global framework that assesses ecosystem risk using criteria for decline, restricted distribution, and degradation. Its categories provide a standardized way to assess ecosystem collapse risk.
Mass extinction : A geologically brief interval in which an unusually large proportion of Earth’s species becomes extinct worldwide. Widespread ecosystem collapse can contribute to biodiversity loss on a global scale.
Aral Sea : A former Central Asian inland sea that shrank dramatically after river water was diverted for irrigation. Its desiccation transformed aquatic habitats and devastated a regional fishery.
Tipping point : A threshold beyond which a system shifts rapidly toward a different state, often through self-reinforcing change. Positive feedbacks can make collapse abrupt and difficult to reverse.
Ecosystem function : The biological, chemical, and physical processes through which ecosystems cycle materials, capture energy, and support life. Collapse includes failures in processes, not only visible changes in species.
Ecosystem risk assessment : The evaluation of an ecosystem’s likelihood of collapse, based on evidence of decline, threats, and future scenarios. Risk assessments connect observed deterioration to the prospect of collapse.
Ecosystem services : The benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including food, water regulation, climate regulation, and cultural values. Collapsed ecosystems can no longer reliably provide many benefits societies depend on.
Newfoundland cod fishery collapse : The collapse of northern cod stocks off Newfoundland, followed by a fishing moratorium in 1992. The case shows how exploitation can overwhelm a marine ecosystem and its dependent communities.
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