Biodiversity Information System for Europe - Tipping points<p>Small changes can make a big difference for the earth system. Beyond certain thresholds, known as ‘tipping points’, ecosystems may collapse and transform into distinctly different states. </p>
<p>The tipping points are a major concern for decision-makers because of their potentially large impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change and human well-being. Accoding to the Global Biodiversity Outlook synthesis report of the <st1:stockticker w:st="on">CBD</st1:stockticker> it can be extremely difficult for societies to adapt to rapid and potentially irreversible shifts in the functioning and character of an ecosystem on which they depend. While it is almost certain that tipping points will occur in the future, the dynamics in most cases cannot yet be predicted with enough precision and advance warning to allow for specific and targeted approaches to avoid them, or to mitigate their impacts. Responsible risk management may therefore require a precautionary approach to human activities known to drive biodiversity loss.</p>
<p> A <strong>tipping point</strong> is defined, for the purposes of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, as a situation in which an ecosystem experiences a shift to a new state, with significant changes to biodiversity <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> the services to people it underpins, at a regional or global scale. Tipping points also have at least one of the following characteristics:</p>
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<li>The change becomes self-perpetuating through so-called positive feedbacks, for example deforestation reduces regional rainfall, which increases fire-risk, which causes forest dieback <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> further drying.</li>
<li>There is a threshold beyond which an abrupt shift of ecological states occurs, although the threshold point can rarely be predicted with precision.</li>
<li>The changes are long-lasting <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> hard to reverse.</li>
<li>There is a significant time lag between the pressures driving the change <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> the appearance of impacts, creating great difficulties in ecological management.</li>
</ul>
<p> (source : Global Biodiversity Outlook3 synthesis report of the <st1:stockticker w:st="on">CBD</st1:stockticker>)</p>
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<li> <strong><a href="http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eu-2010-biodiversity-baseline/">read more from the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline report</a></strong></li>
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<p>selected links</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbd.int/gbo3/">Global Biodiversity Outlook 3</a></p>
<p>EU FP7 project: <a href="http://www.eu-atp.org/" title="Arctic Tipping Points">Arctic Tipping Points</a></p>2012-02-07T14:23:36Ztag:biodiversity.europa.eu,2012-02-07:/topics/tipping-pointshttp://biodiversity.europa.eu/misc_/CHM2/Site.gifBiodiversity Information System for Europe