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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Ecosystems have multiple interacting processes that buffer against co-occurring stressors.

Xiang Kong¹, Baile Xu², James A Orr³

¹College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193 Beijing, China.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|March 28, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ecosystems have multiple processes that buffer against environmental stressors. Understanding how these buffering processes interact is key to predicting ecosystem stability under multiple, co-occurring stressors.

Keywords:

buffering processes ecosystem resistance global change multiple stressors synergistic interaction

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Ecosystem Dynamics

Background:

Anthropogenic stressors impact ecosystem properties and functions.
Single buffering processes (e.g., biodiversity, adaptation) are known to mitigate stressor effects.
The combined effects of multiple buffering processes on ecosystem resilience are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore how multiple buffering processes interact to mitigate multiple co-occurring stressors.
To enhance understanding of ecosystem stability in the face of environmental change.

Main Methods:

Literature review and conceptual synthesis.
Analysis of single and multiple buffering processes.
Examination of ecological and temporal scales of buffering.

Main Results:

Single processes like cross-tolerance can buffer multiple stressors.
Multiple buffering processes can act jointly across scales.
Synergistic interactions between buffering processes enhance ecosystem resistance.

Conclusions:

Interactions among buffering processes are crucial for ecosystem stability.
A comprehensive understanding of interacting buffering mechanisms is needed.
This knowledge is vital for predicting ecosystem responses to global change.