Article Synopsis
- Ecosystem collapse poses a serious threat to biodiversity and human health, driven by global climate change and regional human activities.
- Current research on 19 ecosystems, from Australia’s coral reefs to Antarctica, shows that these ecosystems are responding to various pressures in different ways, categorized into four profiles.
- A proposed three-step framework (Awareness, Anticipation, and Action) aims to facilitate strategic management and reduce further degradation of these vital ecosystems to protect our future.
Video Abstracts
Category Ranking
98%
Total Visits
921
Avg Visit Duration
2 minutes
Citations
20
Article Abstract
Globally, collapse of ecosystems-potentially irreversible change to ecosystem structure, composition and function-imperils biodiversity, human health and well-being. We examine the current state and recent trajectories of 19 ecosystems, spanning 58° of latitude across 7.7 M km , from Australia's coral reefs to terrestrial Antarctica. Pressures from global climate change and regional human impacts, occurring as chronic 'presses' and/or acute 'pulses', drive ecosystem collapse. Ecosystem responses to 5-17 pressures were categorised as four collapse profiles-abrupt, smooth, stepped and fluctuating. The manifestation of widespread ecosystem collapse is a stark warning of the necessity to take action. We present a three-step assessment and management framework (3As Pathway Awareness, Anticipation and Action) to aid strategic and effective mitigation to alleviate further degradation to help secure our future.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15539 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Wastewater discharge intensity drives coastal microbial community assembly and pollution history determines their resistance.
J Environ Manage
September 2025
College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. Electronic address:
Microbial communities in coastal sediments are vital for ecosystem stability and biogeochemical cycles. Disposal of wastewater treatment plant effluents into coastal environments might change the microbial community, further affecting ecosystem functioning. However, an important knowledge gap is how the different types and intensities of wastewater influence the microbial community assembly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial diversity and composition in the gut microbiome of patients during systemic inflammatory response syndrome: can we use gut bacteria as potential biomarkers to characterize sepsis?
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
September 2025
Bacterial Resistance Research Laboratory (LABRESIS), Hospital de clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Experimental Research Center, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Background: Critically ill patients, including those with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis, frequently exhibit gut microbiota disruption due to physiological stress and broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy (AT). Although antibiotics are essential for controlling infection, they can destabilize the gut microbiota and may contribute to poorer clinical outcomes. The characterization of the gut microbiota of these patients may inform microbiota-based interventions to mitigate antibiotic-induced dysbiosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn iron-hard legacy? An analysis of metal accumulation and recovery over time in Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest plants after the Fundão Dam collapse.
J Hazard Mater
September 2025
Laboratório de Estudos Aplicados em Fisiologia Vegetal, Instituto Federal Goiano, Campus Rio Verde Rio Verde, GO 75.901-970, Brazil.
The study investigates the long-term effects of the 2015 Fundão tailings dam collapse in Brazil, focusing on metal accumulation in soil, plants and its implications for ecosystem recovery. The research, conducted between 2021 and 2024, analyzed 3311 individuals from areas directly and indirectly affected by the dam collapse, as well as from non-affected areas, integrating geochemical, spatial, and temporal analyses. Metal concentration and cellular damage were evaluated in roots and leaves.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpact of bleeding and thrombosis on outcome of 945 COVID-19 VV-ECMO cases from a German registry.
Front Med (Lausanne)
August 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Unlabelled: Bleeding and thromboembolic events (BTE) increase the mortality of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The current analysis aimed to assess frequency and determinants of BTE according to their location and severity in a retrospective analysis of the German ECMO COVID-19 registry. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors influencing ICU survival as well as variables associated with risks of BTE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVarying Responses to Heat Stress and Salinization Between Benthic and Pelagic Riverine Microbial Communities.
Environ Microbiol
September 2025
Department Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Microbial communities play a crucial role in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems but are continuously threatened by climate change and anthropogenic activities. Elevated temperatures and salinisation are particularly challenging for freshwater habitats, but little is known about how microbial communities respond to the simultaneous exposure to these stressors. Here, we use mesocosm experiments and amplicon sequencing data to investigate the responses of pelagic and benthic microbial communities to temperature and salinity increases, both individually and in combination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF