All ecosystems are exposed to gradual changes in climate, nutrient loading, habitat fragmentation or biotic exploitation. Nature is usually assumed to respond to gradual change in a smooth way. However, studies on lakes, coral reefs, oceans, forests and arid lands have shown that smooth change can be interrupted by sudden drastic switches to a contrasting state. Although diverse events can trigger such shifts, recent studies show that a loss of resilience usually paves the way for a switch to an alternative state.
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Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/catastrophic-shifts-ecosystems
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/marten-scheffer
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/steve-carpenter
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/jonathan-foley-et-al
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/nature
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ecosystems
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-change
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-impacts
