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Antifragility: A Cross-Cutting Concept for Understanding Ecological Responses to Variability
Jonas Wickman1,2, Christopher A Klausmeier1,2,3,4, Elena Litchman1,2,3
1W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan 49060.
The American Naturalist
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Environmental variability impacts ecosystems. We propose "antifragility," where performance improves with variability, as a unifying concept for ecological research, especially under global change.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Environmental variability, including temporal fluctuations and intermittent perturbations, is a pervasive factor in ecological systems.
- While the role of temporal variability is acknowledged, a unifying concept to describe responses across species, communities, and ecosystems is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and explore the concept of "antifragility" as a high-level framework for understanding ecological responses to variability.
- To demonstrate the utility and applicability of antifragility in ecological contexts, particularly concerning ecosystem services and interspecific competition.
Main Methods:
- Review and conceptualization of antifragility, originally from economics, for ecological applications.
- Development and analysis of two mathematical models to illustrate antifragility in ecosystem services and competition dynamics.
Main Results:
- Antifragility, defined as increased performance with variability, offers a novel perspective on ecological dynamics.
- Mathematical models demonstrate the potential for antifragility in ecosystem services and competition, highlighting its broad applicability.
- The study also addresses potential nuances and misapplications of the antifragility concept.
Conclusions:
- Antifragility can serve as a unifying concept to coordinate research on ecological responses to environmental variability.
- Under global change, where environmental variability is predicted to shift, antifragility provides a valuable lens for future ecological studies.
- This concept can help researchers better understand and predict the effects of changing environmental conditions on ecological systems.
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