20 Jan 2021 Imagine being able to stop species becoming unexpectedly endangered in the first place... Researchers have demonstrated that ecosystem management can be modelled to highlight potential adjustments to ongoing control strategies which might improve outcomes of 'system flips' - that point when a species transitions from relative security to vulnerability. Image: New research can help ecosystem managers identify species vulnerabilities and prevent populations from becoming at risk, like the endangered Mexican gray wolf Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service More than 3,000 animal species in the world today are considered endangered, with hundreds more categorised as vulnerable. Currently, ecologists don't have reliable tools to predict when a species may become at risk.