4 - Contemporary Case Studies

Summary

This chapter profiles contemporary examples of ecosystem collapse and recovery. Case studies presented include coral reefs, marine fisheries, freshwater ecosystems (streams, rivers and lakes), forests (including tropical, temperate and boreal), savanna, and temperate agroecosystems. In each case, the available empirical evidence is reviewed in relation to the ecological mechanisms underlying both ecosystem collapse and recovery. At the end of the chapter, the theoretical propositions identified in Chapter 2 and refined in Chapter 3 are then evaluated in the light of the evidence available from these contemporary case studies.