Jan Nagler
Centre for Human and Machine Intelligence (HMI), Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Why ergodicity breaking matters in ecosystems?
Abstract
We show when ergodicity breaking in coupled and uncoupled ecosystems dominates other effects from fluctuating environmental factors. This involves a field study in nematodes. Ergodicity breaking leads to a shift in the evolutionarily adapted mean temperature and thereby to a correction of tipping point thresholds, for example, from climate change. We are able to analytically predict this temperature shift from first principles. More generally, possible implications regarding sudden breakdowns of ecosystems are discussed.