Extreme weather events combined with rising environmental stress levels are increasing the likelihood of ecosystem collapse, according to new research involving the University of Southampton.

A new study published in Nature Sustainability describes a “perfect storm” of continuous stress from factors such as unsustainable land use, agricultural expansion and climate change, coupled with extreme weather events, like floods and wildfires. Researchers say this combination could tip ecosystems into collapse sooner than previously thought.

Using computer modelling, researchers looked at four under threat ecosystems to work out what factors might lead to ‘tipping points’, beyond which collapse was inevitable. In some ecosystems, adding new extreme events on top of other ongoing stresses brought the timing of a predicted tipping point closer to the present day by as much as 80%.

Read more at: University of Southampton

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