Ecosystem resilience is the capacity of an ecological system to absorb disturbances, reorganize, and retain its essential structure, functions, feedbacks, and identity within a particular stability domain. It reflects the system’s ability to maintain key processes such as nutrient cycling, energy flow, and species interactions despite perturbations, including climatic extremes, biological invasions, or anthropogenic impacts. Resilience arises from mechanisms like functional redundancy, response diversity, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and connectivity among habitat patches. In research, it is quantified through metrics such as recovery rates, persistence of functional groups, thresholds for regime shifts, and the magnitude of disturbance a system can withstand before transitioning to an alternative stable state.
The ecology of an upstate New York stream rebounded to its natural state within three years after a small dam was removed, highlighting how quickly aquatic ecosystems can recover, according to a new study.
Ecology
Jul 28, 2025
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453
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have analyzed 96 years of forest census data to better understand ecological changes and inform management practices.
Plants & Animals
Jul 24, 2025
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25
Yellowstone National Park is celebrating an ecological milestone along with a key anniversary this summer, Oregon State University researchers report.
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2025
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44
A new study published in the journal One Earth reveals that the way ecosystems collapse—abruptly or gradually—may depend on internal complexity, much like how magnetic materials behave under stress.
Earth Sciences
Jul 18, 2025
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101
A new study from Colorado State University, Western Colorado University and the U.S. Forest Service found evidence that stands of aspen trees could resist wildfires by slowing a fire's advance or changing its course.
Ecology
Jul 16, 2025
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18
Even-aged forest management is geared towards timber production with ecosystem health as a lesser consideration. This creates a dichotomy where forests are treated either as plantations or reserves. Uneven-aged management ...
Do you think you know which species are most vulnerable in an ecosystem? A novel analytical method developed by Italian physicists at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) suggests there's more to discover. In their recent study, ...
Ecology
Jul 10, 2025
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19
A new study reveals a bright spot for shellfish populations in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Combining paleontological tools and archaeological data with conservation research, the paper finds that, for the past 3,000 years, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 9, 2025
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49
Understanding whether lakes are fed predominantly by groundwater or rainwater is critical to managing our water resources in the face of droughts and shortages, new research has found.
Earth Sciences
Jul 8, 2025
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39
A recent study has unveiled a paradox across Eurasia: while vegetation has visibly flourished in recent decades, the underlying resilience of its ecosystems has simultaneously weakened. This finding challenges the prevailing ...
Ecology
Jul 3, 2025
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20
