Questions Flashcards
“ecosystem continuously creates…”: intro?
1) Similar to davisian idea of cyclic developoment of landforms, the earth’s surface material also goes through a cycle of creation, maintenance, destruction and recreation.
2) ecosystem equilibrium refers to constancy of energy and matter in an ecosystemand is achieved by continuous recycling of earth’s surface material via biogeochemical cycles.
“ecosystem continuously creates…”: Biogeochemical cycles?
Acc to Furley and Newey, Large scale cyclic pathways involving inorganic substances which pass through a biotic phase and then return to an inorganic state.
“ecosystem continuously creates…”: body?
1) the diversity and complexity of biota ensures stability of ecosystem by providing alternate channels of flow for biogeochemical cycles, hence increassing the stability, resilience and elasticity of an ecosystem.
2. extinction of one species may not destabilise the entire ecosystem, if substitute species are available to step in the former’s ecological niche.
3) In the rock cycle, the rocks change forms from igneous to sedimentary and metamorphic, get destructed into magma and is recreated when lava comes out and cool as igneous rocks.
“ecosystem continuously creates…”: conclusion?
emergence of Techno-centricman with a view of Nature-as -isufrict is disrupting biogeochemical cycles and the Homeostatic mechanism, leading to ecological instability.
