Tipping point -nonlinear- effects

title: Tipping point -nonlinear- effects

title: Tipping point -nonlinear- effects

title: Tipping point -nonlinear- effects — When a system fundamentally changes structure and function, settling into a new stable state.

• Nonlinear effects
  • Can have very big consequences
• Not easy to reverse
• Difficult to predict

Feedback Loops

• Feedback loops keep the system in its stable state
  • As feedback loops change direction or if the feedback loop of the alternate regime become increasingly strong they can create sudden changes
  • Systems that have higher Resilience will be more resistant to regime shifts

Example of Rainforests

• Water-generating feedback loop
  • High density of plants traps moisture and generates rainfall
  • Rainfall allows vegetation to thrive
• As you cut down the forests, you break the feedback loop, and set it in the opposite direction
  • No plants to trap heat, no rainfall, less plants, less rainfall etc…

Global Tipping Elements

Example of Coral Reefs

• shifts from diverse coral reefs
  • dominated by coral, have rich fish populations,
  • supporting lots of tourist industries
  • protect the coast from storms;
• to algae-dominated reefs
  • much less fish often, much smaller fish, and not diverse community of things
  • big impacts for both the ability of local people to persist, and on the conservation of nature.

Created on: 2020-12-28 Inspired by: Course - Planetary Boundaries Related: Complex Systems | Regeneration