Characteristics of Collapsing Ecosystems and Main Factors of Collapses

Melinda Palinkas

A chapter in Ecosystem Services and Global Ecology from IntechOpen

Abstract: The synergistic effects of direct human perturbations and climate change have been causing the mass extinction of species. Here, I present the deterministic factors of collapses in present ecosystems. I captured and synthesized the key deterministic traits and processes before a collapse in the peer-reviewed literature. The results of the literature review show that deterministic factors can be used as early warning signals of collapses. The literature also suggests that we have entered the middle stage of global mass extinction, which may be irreversible.

Keywords: climate change; human perturbation; collapse; mass extinction; biodiversity loss; early warning signals; positive feedback (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ito:pchaps:138822

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.75124

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