Impact of extreme events on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity

KITZBERGER, T.; BATLLORI, ENRIC; LLORET, FRANCISCO

Encyclopedia of Biodiversity 3rd Edition

Elsevier

Año: 2024; p. 1 - 19

Extreme events can have larger impacts on ecosystems than gradual changes of average conditions. This article identifies the different properties of drivers of extreme events, often related to extreme weather or climate events, which are becoming more frequent or more intense, and the derived ecological responses. Extreme ecological responses occur whenever drivers impact surpasses the system’s capacity to absorb changes after extreme pulses, ongoing trends or regime shifts. The mechanisms for ecological responses involve structural, compositional and functional changes that often result in slow, hysteretic or irreversible recovery, which are determined by legacy effects and the compound regime of drivers, disturbances and stressors. Incorporating extreme ecological response into ecological theory is becoming a must, particularly in a climate change context, and will require a better integration of approaches and understanding of its causes and consequences