The geological record shows that abrupt changes in the Earth system can occur on
timescales short enough to challenge the capacity of human societies to adapt to …

Ecologists have long studied patterns, directions and tempos of change, but there is a
pressing need to extend current understanding to empirical observations of abrupt changes …

Abstract The “4.2 ka event” is a commonly described abrupt climate excursion that occurred
about 4200 years ago. However, the extent to which this event is coherent across regional …

In the face of rapid environmental and cultural change, orthodox concepts in restoration
ecology such as historical fidelity are being challenged. Here we re‐examine the diverse …

Abrupt ecological changes are, by definition, those that occur over short periods of time
relative to typical rates of change for a given ecosystem. The potential for such changes is …

Growing recognition of the importance of climate extremes as drivers of contemporary and
future ecological dynamics has led to increasing interest in studying these locally and …

During the Anthropocene and other eras of rapidly changing climates, rates of change of
ecological systems can be described as fast, slow or abrupt. Fast ecological responses …

Climate extremes, such as severe drought, heat waves and periods of heavy rainfall, can
have profound consequences for ecological systems and for human welfare. Global climate …

The occurrence and causes of abrupt transitions, thresholds, or regime shifts between
ecosystem states are of great concern and the likelihood of such transitions is increasing for …

ABSTRACT Quaternary (last 2.6 million years) botany involves studying plant megafossils
(eg tree stumps), macrofossils (eg seeds, leaves), and microfossils (eg pollen, spores) …