Adaptive Cycle

CS Holling first introduced the concept of the adaptive cycle in 1986 to describe cycles of change in ecosystems. The Adaptive Cycle framework consists of four key phases:

  1. Growth: This is a phase of rapid growth and resource accumulation. It’s characterized by resilience and potential for change.
  2. Maturity: In this phase, resources are accumulated more slowly and become increasingly connected and stable. The system becomes more rigid and less resilient.
  3. Release: This is a phase of rapid change or collapse, where tightly bound resources are released. It’s often triggered by a disturbance or crisis.
  4. Exploration: In this phase, the system reorganizes and restructures. There’s high potential for innovation, and new approaches emerge.

Movement through these phases is not fixed in time. In the front part of the loop (growth and maturity), there is an accumulation of resources and systems often spend most of their time in these phases. In the back part (release and exploration) there may be a rapid release of accumulated resources and a period of reorganization.

While the Adaptive Cycle was originally developed for ecological systems, it can be applied to help understand social systems, too. Communities and organizations go through phases of growth, maturity, release, and exploration. Consider shocks like hurricanes, wildfires, or COVID-19.  They cause many mature systems to be destroyed and collapse, freeing up certain resources and capabilities that can be used for new exploration. Out of the collapse of face-to-face visits with health care providers during the pandemic, many systems explored and accelerated online health service delivery.  As this online health service delivery grows and matures, it is enabling increased access to services for underserved populations.

The processes described by the Adaptive Cycle are like the ones in the Two-Loop Model.  They differ in how they sequence the events of system transformation. In the Two-Loop Model, exploration starts before the release and composting of the older system, not after it. The Adaptive Cycle helps explain inevitable change in complex systems while the Two-Loop Model can help guide intentional change.

Holling and colleagues further developed and expanded the Adaptive Cycle into Panarchy theory. This theory builds on the Adaptive Cycle by describing how adaptive cycles are nested across scales and faster, smaller cycles can interact with slower, larger ones.

The Adaptive Cycle is visualized as a continuous infinity loop illustrating four distinct phases: Exploration, Growth, Maturity, and Release. These phases are supported by illustrations using a farming metaphor, ranging from initial seedlings (Exploration) and mature fields (Maturity) to cleared land with stumps (Release).
This version of the image include words to describe each of the phases Maturation is described by words like conservation and stabilization while Growth is described by expansion and development. Exploration is about new opportunities and renewal while Release is about destruction collapse and uncertainty.

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