Resilience at HL: Resilience — a system's ability to absorb change and keep working — means the same thing for SL and HL. At HL you simply return to it more often, applying it to the extra material on ecosystems and human systems.
Nothing extra here yet — just focus on understanding what resilience means.
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Resilience
Big idea: Resilience is a system's ability to absorb disturbance and still keep functioning.
A resilient system can change in the short term but remain stable in the long term.
What does resilience look like?
- System is disturbed (fire, flood, disease, pollution)
- System changes temporarily
- System recovers and continues functioning
- Long-term stability is maintained
Resilient systems are dynamic, not static. Short-term change is normal.
Examples of resilient systems
- Human body fighting infection
- A forest recovering after a fire
- Predator–prey populations fluctuating but persisting
- A coral reef with high biodiversity
Resilient ecosystems may change in species numbers, but the system as a whole survives.
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Resilience and feedback
Resilient systems usually have strong negative feedback loops that counteract change.
- Negative feedback stabilises systems
- Positive feedback amplifies change
- Too much positive feedback reduces resilience
Resilience vs tipping points
When resilience is low, a system may cross a tipping point.
- Clear lake → nutrient input → algal bloom
- Forest → drought + deforestation → dieback
- Ice cover → warming → ice-free ocean
After a tipping point, the system settles into a new equilibrium.