ABSTRACT
A very common response to environmental stress is for organisms to enter a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity, or dormancy. Organisms must invest resources into resting structures and the machinery that is needed for transitioning into and out of a dormant state. Dormancy is seen as an evolved ability of microbial species to adapt during periods of environmental stress and as “a reservoir of dormant individuals that can potentially be resuscitated in the future under different environmental conditions”. The chapter provides review of the applicability of existing theories on organized behavior to explain dormant disaster organizing. It presents the conceptualization of dormant disaster organizing building on the theories of ecology and evolution, coupled with relevant middle-range theories, including latent tie theory, activity focus theory, and information and communication public goods theory. Transparency and durability afforded through social media allows for existing members to record the organizing process and maintain the latent relational structure.
