Can ecosystems ‘malfunction’?

What happened

According to The Guardian’s source item, Can ecosystems ‘malfunction’?, We are told the natural world is ‘breaking down’. But forests don’t work like aeroplanes or human hearts A version of this piece was originally published on Aeon as Why we need to think again about ecosystem failure The 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 the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) , a vast system of ocean currents that helps regulate the climate and is at risk of collapsing this century. The entire global ecosystem appears to be losing its ability to function. We find this view in newspapers, magazines, technical reports and the journals of learned societies. But thinking about the environment in terms of its functions is also ho

Context

The development sits in VINI’s Global file for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-06-18T04:00:01+00:00.

What to watch

Open questions include whether primary sources issue follow-up statements, whether local or market impacts become clearer, and whether additional reporting changes the timeline or adds material context.

Source

Primary source: Can ecosystems ‘malfunction’? via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.