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Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world
1Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. turnermg@wisc.edu
Ecology
|November 10, 2010
Summary
Changing disturbance regimes profoundly impact ecosystems and social-ecological systems. Future research must address ecological change, disturbance interactions, and societal links to anticipate consequences.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Landscape Ecology
Background:
- Disturbance regimes are undergoing rapid global change.
- These changes have profound consequences for ecosystems and social-ecological systems.
- Understanding disturbance is crucial for contemporary ecological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize current understanding of ecological disturbance.
- Identify future research priorities in disturbance ecology.
- Emphasize fundamental contributions to landscape and ecosystem ecology.
Main Methods:
- Literature synthesis of disturbance studies.
- Analysis of insights from landscape and ecosystem ecology.
- Identification of research gaps and future directions.
Main Results:
- Disturbance studies advanced understanding of heterogeneity, scale, and thresholds.
- Disturbances create vegetation patterns influencing ecosystem processes.
- Global change drivers will alter disturbance regimes and ecological trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Changing disturbance regimes necessitate renewed ecological research efforts.
- Future research should focus on rapid ecological change, disturbance interactions, and societal links.
- Anticipating the causes and consequences of altered disturbance regimes is critical for ecosystem services.
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