Cascades

Cascades refer to sequences in which an initial action or event triggers a chain of related outcomes across steps, scales, or locations. The term is used across geography, ecology, engineering, and information technology to describe cascading processes, effects, or structures.

In geography, a cascade is a series of small waterfalls or rapids in a river, rather than a single drop. Cascades occur where rock beds form a stepped profile or where river energy is dissipated gradually, often in mountainous or highland terrain.

In ecology, cascading effects commonly describe trophic cascades: changes at one trophic level propagate through the ecosystem, altering populations, community composition, and ecosystem processes. A classic pattern involves predators moderating herbivore abundances, which can influence vegetation, nutrient cycling, and habitat structure.

In technology and systems, cascades describe multi-stage processes or networks in which outputs from one stage feed subsequent stages. This includes cascaded control or signal processing, as well as cascading failures in interconnected infrastructure, where faults propagate and magnify disruption. In computer science and vision, cascade classifiers refer to a sequence of progressively more complex evaluators used to efficiently identify targets.