"These are compelling insights into the transitions in human and natural systems," says Henry Gholz, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Environmental Biology, which supported the research along with NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences.
"The information comes at a critical time--a time when Earth's and, our fragility, have been highlighted by global financial collapses, debates over health care reform, and concern about rapid change in climate and ecological systems."
It all comes down to what scientists call "squealing," or "variance amplification near critical points," when a system moves back and forth between two states.