Ecosystem coupling: A unifying framework to understand the functioning and recovery of ecosystems

Global change frequently disrupts the connections among species, as well species and their environment, before most obvious impacts can be detected. Therefore, we need to develop a unified conceptual framework that allows us predict early ecological under changing environments. The concept of coupling, defined multiple ways in which biotic abiotic components ecosystems are orderly connected across space and/or time, may provide such framework. Here, operationally define coupling based on combination correlational matrices null modeling approach. Compared with models, (1) coupled; (2) decoupled; (3) anticoupled. Given more tightly coupled displaying higher levels internal order characterized by efficient capture, transfer, storage energy matter (i.e., functioning), understanding links between functioning help accelerate transition planetary-scale sustainability. This achieved promoting self-organized order. 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