Nature's capacity to 'bounce back' when species are lost is overestimated: study
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Nature's ability to recover lost species is overestimated on human timescales.
A study warns that ecosystems do not quickly refill ecological niches after species loss, challenging assumptions about nature's resilience. Researchers analyzed 23 categories of ecosystem services and found that biodiversity recovery often fails on human timescales. Restoration efforts can rebuild habitats, but species may not return due to lack of source populations.
What commenters are saying
Commenters largely agree that nature's recovery operates on geological timescales, not human ones. Many cite examples like the cod fishery collapse, where cod never rebounded after overfishing. A recurring side discussion debates eradicating disease-carrying mosquitoes, with some arguing other species would fill the niche. Others note that restoration often fails because species have nowhere left to come from.