Multiscale controls on ecosystem resilience under global change: Vegetation physiology, mycorrhizal networks and climate feedbacks
Abstract
Ecosystem resilience-the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances while maintaining structure and function-is critical in the context of rapid global change, including climate warming, altered precipitation regimes, land-use modification and biodiversity loss. Resilience emerges from interactions across multiple scales, encompassing physiological processes within individual plants, symbiotic networks such as mycorrhizae and biogeochemical feedbacks that regulate climate. Vegetation physiology influences primary productivity, water and nutrient use and stress tolerance, while mycorrhizal networks mediate resource exchange, soil structure and plant community dynamics. These processes collectively modulate ecosystem-level feedbacks, such as carbon sequestration and albedo effects, shaping the response of ecosystems to global change. This article synthesizes current understanding of multiscale controls on ecosystem resilience, integrating insights from plant physiology, soil–microbe interactions and climate feedback mechanisms. By examining terrestrial ecosystems across spatial and temporal scales, the article highlights how integrating multiscale ecological knowledge can inform conservation, restoration and management strategies under a changing climate.