The rapid move of an ecosystem from one steady state to another state. EcosystemsHow ecosystems function An ecosystem is a community of lifeforms that interact in such an optimal way that how ecosystems function best, is when all components (including humans and other animals) can persist and live alongside each other for the longest time possible. Ecosystems are fuelled by the energy created by plants (primary producers) that convert the Sun's heat energy More don’t rapidly move from one steady state to another steady state. Tipping points are typically reached when the amount of free energyThe energy of a system that is emitted as waste and is not part of ecosystem processes. There is always some free surplus energy as this creates the basis for evolution where new species exploit gaps in the ecosystem where free energy becomes available. Surplus energy can occur as a result of disruption or disturbance. When free surplus energy reaches More is so significant, that there is total structural collapse and the new state, is simply one where most of the energyEnergy and nutrients are the same thing. Plants capture energy from the Sun and store it in chemicals, via the process of photosynthesis. The excess greenery and waste that plants create, contain chemicals that animals can eat, in order to build their own bodies and reproduce. When a chemical is used this way, we call it a nutrient. As we More is contained at the lower trophic levels. For instance, going from a species-rich grassland by applying fertiliser, you quickly reach a tipping point where only one or two grass species dominate and there may be one or two abundant animals but these tend to be “pests”. Tipping points cannot be easily reversed because it takes thousands and sometimes millions of years to rebuild the structure, as it depends on evolution and adaptation processes that cannot be replicated by human engineers.
