What disturbance ecology taught me about resilience
Finding the space for new growth when your world feels like it’s burning.
Before I encountered the field of disturbance ecology, many years ago, I thought all disturbance was bad.
Back then, my understanding of disturbance came from firsthand experiences with tropical storms and hurricanes. I saw landslides swallow roads and homes, businesses destroyed, trees ripped from the ground, and lives changed by recurring storms.
To me, disturbance meant devastation.
But I realized that my understanding was limited, and that disturbance is far more complex than what first meets the eye.
The Ecological Reset
Disturbance is the ultimate double-edged sword. On one side, it can cause immense loss. This is the aspect most of us focus on. Consider a wildfire tearing through a dense forest.
In the process, it destroys natural habitats, decimates populations of flora (plants) and fauna (animals), makes space for invasive species, and may even claim homes in its path.
That loss is easily recognized.
It is seen.
It is often felt.
However, the flip side of disturbance, the reset and the process of creation, is often less obvious.
In forested ecosystems, a wildfire can thin a crowded canopy, finally allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.
This reset enables shade-intolerant species (species that hate being in the shade, I call them direct-sunlight-lovers), like Ponderosa Pine, to take root and flourish.
Beyond opening space, disturbances can:
Eradicate invasive species that have limited native populations.
Recycle vital nutrients back into the soil through ash and decay.
Stimulate germination in serotinous species, whose cones require high temperatures to open and release seeds.
With this thinking, I understand that the system changes, but it is not necessarily ruined.
I like to believe that nature is inherently resilient, always seeking new ways to grow, expand, and thrive. And perhaps life works that way, too.
The Human Side
Every now and then, we experience our own disturbances, ie. the disruptions to the routines, plans, and versions of ourselves that we’ve grown comfortable with. At first glance, we see inconvenience, destruction, ruin, and misfortune.
When you are standing in the middle of the smoke, it’s hard to see anything else.
But I challenge you to look for the other side.
Maybe disturbance is:
Creating Space for New Growth:
clearing a path for something that could not survive in your old/current environment.
redirecting you toward a path more aligned with who you are becoming.
Resetting
providing the fresh start that you never would have chosen, but you desperately need.
forcing you to rest when you wouldn’t have paused on your own.
Not every disturbance is good in the traditional sense. But not every disturbance is purely bad, either.
I’ll leave you with this: the next time your world feels like it’s burning up, remember that sometimes disruption is simply the first stage of transformation.
What is a disturbance that ended up clearing the way for something better in your life?