Environmental Science 12th Edition by William Cunningham,Mary Ann Cunningham

Exercise 12

Figure 13.32 on p. 291 is a form of graphic representation we haven t used very often in this book. It's a concept map, or a twodimensional representation of the relationship between key ideas. It could also be considered a decision flowchart because it's an organized presentation of different policy options. This kind of chart shows how we might think about a situation, and suggests affinities and associations that might not otherwise be obvious. You might like to look at the introductory chapter of this book for more information about concept maps.

A model of ecosystem degradation and potential management options.
Source: Data from Walker and Moral, 2003.
What do you suppose the authors meant by a "threshold of irreversibility" If the system is irreversible, why are there arrows for reallocation or intervention