Ecosystem coupling: A unifying framework to understand the functioning and recovery of ecosystems
One Earth, vol. 4, pp. 951–966
Abstract
Global change frequently disrupts the connections among species, as well as among species and their environment, before the most obvious impacts can be detected.Therefore, we need to develop a unified conceptual framework that allows us to predict early ecological impacts under changing environments.The concept of coupling, defined as the multiple ways in which the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems are orderly connected across space and/or time, may provide such a framework.Here, we operationally define the coupling of ecosystems based on a combination of correlational matrices and a null modeling approach.Compared with null models, ecosystems can be (1) coupled; (2) decoupled; and (3) anticoupled.Given that more tightly coupled ecosystems displaying higher levels of internal order may be characterized by a more efficient capture, transfer, and storage of energy and matter (i.e., of functioning), understanding the links between coupling and functioning may help us to accelerate the transition to planetary-scale sustainability.This may be achieved by promoting self-organized order.
Authors 11
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Raúl Ochoa‐Hueso corresponding
Universidad de Cádiz · Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology , IVAGRO , University of Ca ´diz , Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (CeiA3) , Campus del Rio San Pedro , 11510 Puerto Real , Ca ´diz , Spain
Department of Terrestrial Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50 , 6700 AB Wageningen , the Netherlands
Department of Biology, IVAGRO, University of Cádiz, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (CeiA3), Campus del Rio San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Departamento de Sistemas Fı ´sicos , Quı ´micos y Naturales , Universidad Pablo de Olavide , 41013 Sevilla , Spain
Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest , Snow and Landscape Research WSL , Community Ecology , Zuercherstrasse 111 , 8903 Birmensdorf , Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Community Ecology, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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Maarten J. J. Schrama Aachen Department of Environmental Biology Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)
Leiden University · University of Applied Sciences Leiden
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Biology , Institute of Environmental Sciences , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands
Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED-ELD), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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S. Henrik Barmentlo Aachen Department of Environmental Biology Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)
Leiden University · University of Applied Sciences Leiden · Institute for Biodiversity · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics , Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED-ELD) , University of Amsterdam , P.O. Box 94240 , 1090 GE Amsterdam , the Netherlands
Department of Environmental Biology , Institute of Environmental Sciences , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands
Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED-ELD), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Wageningen University & Research
Affiliation as printed
Laboratory of Nematology , Wageningen University and Research , 6708PB Wageningen , the Netherlands
Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Terrestrial Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50 , 6700 AB Wageningen , the Netherlands
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest , Snow and Landscape Research WSL , Community Ecology , Zuercherstrasse 111 , 8903 Birmensdorf , Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Community Ecology, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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Affiliation as printed
Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics , Utrecht University , 3584 CH Utrecht , the Netherlands
Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Netherlands Institute of Ecology · Wageningen University & Research
Affiliation as printed
Department of Terrestrial Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50 , 6700 AB Wageningen , the Netherlands
Laboratory of Nematology , Wageningen University and Research , 6708PB Wageningen , the Netherlands
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, the Netherlands
Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
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