Systems of nature tend to follow an adaptive cycle

By studying ecosystems all around the world, Researchers who study ecosystems have observed that most systems of nature usually proceed through ”recurring cycles consisting of four phases: rapid growth, conservation, release, and reorganization. The manner in which the system behaves is different from one phase to the next with changes in the strength of the system’s internal connections, its flexibility, and its resilience. … This cycle is known as an adaptive cycle as it describes how an ecosystem organizes itself and how it responds to a changing world. The notion of an adaptive cycle developed as a useful metaphor for describing change in ecological systems.^[1]

The adaptive cycle has two opposing modes. A development loop (or “fore” loop), and a release and reorganization loop (or “back” loop) (see figure above).

The fore loop (sometimes called the front loop or forward loop) is characterized by the accumulation of capital, by stability and conservation, a mode that is essential for system (and therefore human) well-being to increase. The back loop is characterized by uncertainty, novelty, and experimentation. The back loop is the time of greatest potential for the initiation of either destructive or creative change in the system. It is the time when human actions— intentional and thoughtful, or spontaneous and reckless—can have the biggest impact.^[2]

#systems #resilience

See also:

• All linked adaptive cycles govern the behavior of a system
• Resilience Thinking understands thresholds and adaptive cycles