Can ecosystems ‘malfunction’?

We are told the natural world is ‘breaking down’. But forests don’t work like aeroplanes or human heartsA version of this piece was originally published on Aeon as Why we need to think again about ecosystem failureThe Amazon rainforest, according to a 2021 study, is losing its capacity as a carbon sink and now emits more than it absorbs. In the tropics, marine scientists are reporting that coral reefs are in decline, threatening fish stocks. Equally concerning is research into