Photo courtesy of Stephan Getzin
Photo courtesy of Stephan Getzin - Max Rietkerk (Utrecht University), Arjen Doelman (Leiden University), Ehud Meron (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) and Isla Myers-Smith (University of Edinburgh) received an ERC Synergy grant of 10 million euros with their project RESILIENCE. The researchers will investigate whether and how tipping points in ecosystems can be prevented or evaded by spatial processes and the formation of spatial patterns. Tipping points occur when the damage to ecosystems crosses a threshold so that dramatic and irreversible change occurs. This damage is often a consequence of human impacts on the planet such as climate change. Tipping points are known to be a great concern in the fight against climate change. On a large scale, tipping points can cause savannahs to flip over to deserts and tundra can change to forests, resulting in even more climate change. Earlier research published in Science last year showed that the largely overlooked tendency of stressed ecosystems to form spatial patterns, such as vegetation patterns , can significantly increase the capability of ecosystems to resist tipping and recover from damage.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
