Andrew Gonzalez
NOMIS Insight Lecture
Wednesday,
October 14, 2026
17:35 – 18:10
A Mesoscale Theory of the Biosphere
Human activities are causing an alarming decline in biodiversity, threatening the vital natural resources we depend on like fertile soil, clean water and climate stability. While scientists have a strong understanding of nature’s patterns and processes at local and planetary levels, we lack a general theory for how ecological changes at the mesoscale — the regional networks connecting the two levels — add up to impact the entire biosphere. How do interconnected ecosystems collectively buffer — or amplify — environmental change? Understanding this is essential to preserving the natural systems that support life.
Andrew Gonzalez’s NOMIS-supported research project, A Mesoscale Theory of the Biosphere, views the biosphere as connected ecological regions linked by migration, climate and human activities. In this framework, biodiversity doesn’t just react to environmental pressures; it actively acts as a stabilizing force for ecological functions. Much like a financial market crash, system-wide disruptions risk system-wide ecological collapse. Gonzalez’s research may provide insights into where the biosphere is resilient and vulnerable, and how biodiversity maintains life-supporting systems.
