Hoe voorkomen we dat ecosystemen kantelpunten overschrijden en zodoende belangrijke ecologische diensten verliezen? (KB-14-002-026, KB-14-001-004)

Ecosystem services, like water and CO2 storage, buffering against climate change, maintaining biodiversity, etc. depend on biological components, like vegetation. In turn, these biological components are influenced by a-biotic factors, like the availability of suitable habitat, and climate conditions. The relations between a-biotic factors, biological components, and delivered ecosystem services are generally not simple. Earlier research suggests that there are many nonlinear relationships and feedbacks, which can result in the existence of various, alternative states. In some cases certain states are very stable  (resilient), in other cases smaal changes can have large consequences. This research is aimed at understanding how ecosystem services can change under the influence of climate, land use, etc., primarily through alternations in biological components. Explicitly spatial factors are considered.