ABSTRACT
Resilient stability is the ability of an ecosystem to restore itself after its structure and functioning have been disturbed. An ideal mathematical analog to the distinction is the relation between the trajectory and structural types of stability in dynamical systems, the former referred to most often as just stability. Under the "maximum diversity-maximum stability" assumption, it would be logical to suppose further that maximum stability is attained at equilibrium, if this state is ever reached. In contrast with intuitive understanding of stability typical the "stability vs. diversity" speculations, the model approach can provide for quite formal, mathematically rigorous definitions. But mathematics also has many notions—and corresponding formal definitions—of stability. The chapter discusses how the views and ideas are realized in the Lyapunov and other concepts of stability for multicomponent systems of ecological modeling, such as age-structured populations and multispecies communities.
