Eluding catastrophic shifts
Abstract
Catastrophic shifts such as desertification processes, massive extinctions, or stock market collapses are ubiquitous threats in nature and society. In these events, there is a shift from one steady state to a radically different one, from which recovery is exceedingly difficult. Thus, there is a huge interest in predicting and eventually preventing catastrophic shifts. Here we explore the influence of key mechanisms such as demographic fluctuations, heterogeneity, and diffusion, which appear generically in real circumstances. The mechanisms we study could ideally be exploited to smooth abrupt shifts and to make transitions progressive and easier to revert. Thus, our findings could be of potential importance for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1414708112
Entities
People
- Juan A. Bonachela
- Miguel A. Muñoz
- Paula Villa Martín
- Simon A. Levin
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- Consejería de Economía Innovación Ciencia y Empleo
- Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness
- National Science Foundation
- Princeton University
- University of Granada
- University of Granada Faculty of Sciences