Solving the Puzzle of Ecosystem Recovery

Abstract

Human activities, past and present, have a big impact on nature, affecting ecosystems in profound ways. Scientists are working hard to figure out the best methods to restore damaged ecosystems. But ecosystem restoration often does not go as planned, resulting in very different ecosystems than before. For example, some animals that used to live in an ecosystem can take a long time to return or do not come back at all. To understand the complexities of ecosystem recovery, scientists have come up with a theory called the asymmetric response concept (ARC), to understand how ecosystems recover. The ARC helps us describe the various responses that can happen after ecosystem damage and why the responses happen that way. Once we understand these responses, we can help ecosystems become healthy again. By learning how organisms rejoin damaged ecosystems, we can better protect our environment for the future.