Shifting feedback loop dominance

In a system described by two or more feedback loops, where at least one has negative polarity and at least one has positive polarity, over a period of time changes in its growth or decay tendencies can occur. This is described as shifting loop dominance. Shift in loop dominance is created by the inherent structure of the problem and, in mathematical terms, the differential equations that describe the feedback loop behaviour. No outside influence causes the change. The shift is a direct consequence of the non-linear structure of the differential equations (Richardson, 1991: 33-34; 1995). We do not need to formulate differential equations to appreciate the phenomenon of shifting feedback loop dominance. In nature, shifting feedback loop dominance is common in predator-prey situations.