Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.

Critical transitions between alternative stable states have been shown to occur across an array of complex systems. While our ability to identify abrupt regime shifts in natural ecosystems has improved, detection of potential early-warning signals previous to such shifts is still very limited. Using...

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Main Authors: Martin Lindegren, Vasilis Dakos, Joachim P Gröger, Anna Gårdmark, Georgs Kornilovs, Saskia A Otto, Christian Möllmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0038410&type=printable
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author Martin Lindegren
Vasilis Dakos
Joachim P Gröger
Anna Gårdmark
Georgs Kornilovs
Saskia A Otto
Christian Möllmann
author_facet Martin Lindegren
Vasilis Dakos
Joachim P Gröger
Anna Gårdmark
Georgs Kornilovs
Saskia A Otto
Christian Möllmann
author_sort Martin Lindegren
collection DOAJ
description Critical transitions between alternative stable states have been shown to occur across an array of complex systems. While our ability to identify abrupt regime shifts in natural ecosystems has improved, detection of potential early-warning signals previous to such shifts is still very limited. Using real monitoring data of a key ecosystem component, we here apply multiple early-warning indicators in order to assess their ability to forewarn a major ecosystem regime shift in the Central Baltic Sea. We show that some indicators and methods can result in clear early-warning signals, while other methods may have limited utility in ecosystem-based management as they show no or weak potential for early-warning. We therefore propose a multiple method approach for early detection of ecosystem regime shifts in monitoring data that may be useful in informing timely management actions in the face of ecosystem change.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
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publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-57b027cef42c49f4b217641e4517d8902025-08-20T03:25:08ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0177e3841010.1371/journal.pone.0038410Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.Martin LindegrenVasilis DakosJoachim P GrögerAnna GårdmarkGeorgs KornilovsSaskia A OttoChristian MöllmannCritical transitions between alternative stable states have been shown to occur across an array of complex systems. While our ability to identify abrupt regime shifts in natural ecosystems has improved, detection of potential early-warning signals previous to such shifts is still very limited. Using real monitoring data of a key ecosystem component, we here apply multiple early-warning indicators in order to assess their ability to forewarn a major ecosystem regime shift in the Central Baltic Sea. We show that some indicators and methods can result in clear early-warning signals, while other methods may have limited utility in ecosystem-based management as they show no or weak potential for early-warning. We therefore propose a multiple method approach for early detection of ecosystem regime shifts in monitoring data that may be useful in informing timely management actions in the face of ecosystem change.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0038410&type=printable
spellingShingle Martin Lindegren
Vasilis Dakos
Joachim P Gröger
Anna Gårdmark
Georgs Kornilovs
Saskia A Otto
Christian Möllmann
Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
PLoS ONE
title Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
title_full Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
title_fullStr Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
title_full_unstemmed Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
title_short Early detection of ecosystem regime shifts: a multiple method evaluation for management application.
title_sort early detection of ecosystem regime shifts a multiple method evaluation for management application
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0038410&type=printable
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