| Multiple stable states or alternative equilibria in ecological systems have been recognized since the 1960s in the ecological literature. Very often, the shift between alternative states occurs suddenly and the resource flows from these systems are modified. Resilience is the capacity of a system to undergo disturbance and maintain its functions and controls. It has multiple levels of meaning, from the metaphorical to the specific. However, most studies that explore resilience-related ideas have used resilience as a metaphor or theoretical construct. In a few cases, it has been defined operationally in the context of a model of a particular system. In this paper, resilience is defined consistently with the theoretical uses of the term, in the context of... |
