Ecosystem Stability

Question 0

To be stable, an ecosystem

Answer 0

Must recover from fluctuations.

Question 1

A stable equilibrium shows a

Answer 1

High resilience to disturbance.

Question 2

In a stable equilibrium, the input of energy and materials

Answer 2

Equals the output of energy and materials; there is no net change.

Question 3

Resilience to change:

Answer 3

How quickly an ecosystem recovers after a disturbance.

Question 4

Resistance to change:

Answer 4

How difficult it is to cause a change.

Question 5

Ecosystem stability can be determined by function redundancy:

Answer 5

It is high for complex systems, such as tropical rainforests, and low for ecosystems in harsh environments.

Question 6

Functional redundancy:

Answer 6

Having several species perform the same function.

Question 7

Dispersal mechanisms: (6)

Answer 7

Exploding pods; can throw seeds over a metre away.
Shaking 1000’s of small seeds from flowers; field poppies.
Curved hooked seeds attach to passing animals.
Surviving bird digestion and becoming scattered in their droppings.
Scattered by wind.
Lying dormant in soil seed bank.

Question 8

A species may have a large fundamental niche, however the realised niche may be

Answer 8

Much smaller if the plant has no method of reaching the areas.

Question 9

Habitat fragmentation is a process which

Answer 9

Breaks up continuous vegetation into smaller, isolated habitats; most often caused a change in land use by humans.

Question 10

Habitat fragmentation: species may need to be

Answer 10

Moved artificially to protect from extinction.

Question 11

Habitat fragmentation: species may need to relocate over

Answer 11

100’s - 1000’s km in order to survive over 100 years.

Question 12

An ecosystem is defined as:

Answer 12

A unit of any size in which living organisms interact with one another and their abiotic environment.