Journal article
Forest resilience, tipping points and global change processes
Journal of Ecology, Vol.103(1), pp.1-4
2015
Abstract
Summary
Anthropogenic global change compromises forest resilience, with profound impacts to ecosystem functions and services. This synthesis paper reflects on the current understanding of forest resilience and potential tipping points under environmental change and explores challenges to assessing responses using experiments, observations and models.
Forests are changing over a wide range of spatio-temporal scales, but it is often unclear whether these changes reduce resilience or represent a tipping point. Tipping points may arise from interactions across scales, as processes such as climate change, land-use change, invasive species or deforestation gradually erode resilience and increase vulnerability to extreme events. Studies covering interactions across different spatio-temporal scales are needed to further our understanding.
Combinations of experiments, observations and process-based models could improve our ability to project forest resilience and tipping points under global change. We discuss uncertainties in changing CO2 concentration and quantifying tree mortality as examples.
Synthesis. As forests change at various scales, it is increasingly important to understand whether and how such changes lead to reduced resilience and potential tipping points. Understanding the mechanisms underlying forest resilience and tipping points would help in assessing risks to ecosystems and presents opportunities for ecosystem restoration and sustainable forest management.
Details
- Title
- Forest resilience, tipping points and global change processes
- Authors/Creators
- C.P.O. Reyer (Author/Creator) - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ResearchA. Rammig (Author/Creator) - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ResearchN. Brouwers (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityF. Langerwisch (Author/Creator) - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ResearchD. Gibson (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Journal of Ecology, Vol.103(1), pp.1-4
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing
- Identifiers
- 991005543531707891
- Copyright
- © 2015 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre of Excellence for Climate Change and Forest and Woodland Health; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.40 Forestry
- 3.40.55 Forest Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Plant Sciences
- ESI research areas
- Environment/Ecology