Modern environmental change is not only shifting averages (temperature, precipitation) but also disrupting timing and recurrence—phenology, seasonal transitions, and the stability of biogeochemical cycles. Eliot Ford investigates how cyclical processes sustain ecosystems: carbon cycling via photosynthesis and decomposition; nitrogen cycling via microbial fixation and denitrification; hydrologic cycling through evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff; and population cycles shaped by predation, resource availability, and climate variability. Using case studies from forests, coastal systems, and agricultural landscapes, she explains how cycle disruption propagates: how altered snowmelt timing affects watershed chemistry, how heat stress changes microbial communities and decomposition rates, and how trophic mismatches break long-standing ecological synchrony.

Cycles presents an evidence-based framework for understanding cyclical stability, thresholds, and recovery in Earth systems—clarifying where cycles can be restored through measurable interventions (soil regeneration, watershed management, biodiversity restoration) and where irreversible regime shifts may be underway.