Is Ecological Resilience Enough to Combat Climate Change?
Ecological resilience refers to the ability of natural ecosystems to absorb disturbances, reorganize, and adapt to new conditions while maintaining their fundamental structure and functions. This concept is becoming increasingly relevant as we face a world of unpredictable environmental shifts, ranging from gradual climate change to sudden natural disasters. It underscores the importance of flexibility in nature’s systems to ensure their long-term survival and the preservation of biodiversity. Change is a constant force in both human societies and natural habitats. Whether gradual or abrupt, ecosystems are always evolving. The concept of ecological resilience helps us understand how these systems cope with change. The term was first introduced by Canadian ecologist Crawford Stanley Holling in 1973, and has since become a vital part of environmental science. Ecological resilience is defined as the capacity of a natural system to absorb disturbances and adapt while maintaining its core s