A cascading effect is an unforeseen chain of events that occurs when an event in a system has a negative impact on other, related systems. Cascading effects can occur in conventional power grids, for example when lines are overloaded and a line trip causes other lines tripping (NESCOR, 2013).

What is an example of the cascade effect?

An example of the cascade effect caused by the loss of a top predator is apparent in tropical forests. When hunters cause local extinctions of top predators, the predators' prey's population numbers increase, causing an overexploitation of a food resource and a cascade effect of species loss.

What is a cascading effect in an ecosystem?

An ecological cascade effect is a series of secondary extinctions that are triggered by the primary extinction of a key species in an ecosystem. ... These exotic species monopolize the ecosystem's resources, and since they have no natural predators to decrease their growth, they are able to increase indefinitely.