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https://theconversation.com/how-do-ecosystems-collapse-our-study-shows-evolution-plays-a-role-and-can-delay-a-disaster-239000>
"Dying coral reefs, rainforests transforming into savannas, grasslands turning
into deserts – these are ecosystem “tipping points”, boundary lines we’re
desperate not to cross.
In dynamic systems filled with life, these critical thresholds aren’t set in
stone. Since organisms can evolve, the tipping points within these ecosystems
might evolve too.
Most of us think of evolution as a glacial process, too slow to witness in a
single lifetime. But evolution, especially in the microbial world, can happen
very quickly. Consider antibiotic-resistant bacteria that emerge within years,
or the COVID-causing virus evolving new variants in mere months. When the
conditions are just right, evolution can go into overdrive — although that’s
usually not good for us.
Our latest research, published today in
Nature Ecology and Evolution, reveals
the first experimental evidence that tipping point behaviour can indeed evolve,
and evolve quickly. This raises an exciting prospect: could understanding the
evolution of tipping points help us steer ecosystems away from collapse?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
