3 Ecosystems of low sensitivity and low resilience – These initially resist degradation
but, once a threshold is passed, it is difficult for any management and restoration
efforts to save things.
4 Ecosystems of high sensitivity and low resilience – These degrade easily and do
not respond readily to management and rehabilitation efforts. It is probably best
either to leave such ecosystems alone or to alter them radically. For example, forest might be converted to rice paddy-field and suffer less ongoing degradation than if
it were converted to tree crops. Examples of high sensitivity and low resilience
ecosystem type 4 include the loess soil region of China, and much of Australia’s
interior (due to its weathered infertile soils, harsh climate, widespread salinity, and
vulnerable flora and fauna).