Abstract: Ecosystem stability is characterized by multidimensionality, hierarchical organization, and scale dependence. The lack of a clear conceptual framework has often led to confusion. We systematically examined the connotations, core dimensions, organizational levels, and spatiotemporal scale dependencies of ecosystem stability. In a narrow sense, ecosystem stability commonly refers to temporal stability of productivity, which is typically quantified as the ratio of the mean to the standard deviation of productivity (the inverse of the coefficient of variation). In a broader sense, ecosystem stability represents the overall capacity of ecosystems to maintain key structure, function, and ecosystem service provision under fluctuated environmental conditions, external disturbances, and long-term changes. It encompasses, at least, several dimensions, including resistance, recovery, resilience, persistence, invariability, and multi-stability. Based on the broad conceptual framework of ecosystem stability, we reviewed the definitions and major research advances from three perspectives: structure and function, different levels of ecological organization, and spatiotemporal characteristics. We further summarized and clarified the multidimensional and multilevel conceptual system of ecosystem stability. Current studies on ecosystem stability still face several major challenges: diverse but inconsistent definitions, numerous indicators lacking integration, a stronger emphasis on functional stability than structural stability, and insufficient understanding of cross-scale stability mechanisms due to the prevalence of single-scale studies. Future research should establish a unified conceptual framework and standardized indicator system for ecosystem stability, while further strengthening investigations into structure-function coupling, cross-level transmission mechanisms among ecological organizational hierarchies, relationships across spatiotemporal scales, and comprehensive assessments of multidimensional ecosystem stability.

Key words: ecosystem stability, structural stability, functional stability, ecological organizational level, temporal and spatial scale