Regime Shifts in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems: An interplay of human population density, soil health and climate variability
Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are exposed to biotic exploitation and climate variability that often leads to changes in soil condition or nutrient loading. The state of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems may respond in a smooth, continuous way to such changes. In some instances ecosystems may be quite inert over certain ranges of conditions, responding more strongly when conditions approach a certain critical level. A significantly different situation arises when the ecosystem response curve exhibits hysteresis or a bifurcation. This implies that, for certain environmental conditions, the ecosystem has two alternative stable states separated by an unstable equilibrium that marks the border between the basins of attraction of the states. Verifying this diagnosis is important because it implies a radically different view on management options, and on the potential effects of global change on ecosystems. Strategies to assess whether alternative stable states exist are now converging in fields as disparate as limnology and terrestrial ecology.
Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis illustrates that soil from forest-cropland chronosequence exhibit alternative stable states. Stable carbon isotope analysis a show switch in soil organic carbon input sources from tree based C3 to maize based C4 sources in ca. 30 years post forest conversion. These soils are characterized by two “spectral basins of attraction”, a reference spectral state (non-degraded) and a degraded spectral state (degraded) separated by an intermediate or transition spectral class. At an ecosystem function level, changes in infiltration, water retention and plant biomass partitioning patterns across the forest-cropland chronosequence provide further evidence of the existence of alternative soil fertility condition states. Positive feedback control between plants and limiting resources (e.g., water, nutrients) is likely to be the principle underlying soil condition shifts when natural systems are converted to low input subsistence cultivation.
Sequential or nearly simultaneous decline in land and aquatic ecosystems has the potential to deepen poverty traps in coupled social-ecological systems. Robust diagnostic surveillance of land degradation using rapid and inexpensive techniques such as NIRS can aid our understanding and enable an evidence-based approach to agricultural and environmental management.
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