Ecosystem Ecology Flashcards
Ecosystem
Ecological system consisting of :
- All organisms in the area
- Physical environment in which they interact
Hierarchy
Arrangement of organisms into a graded series of compartments
If an ecosystem has high biodiversity, what is likely to happen after a disturbance?
The ecosystem will return to its original steady state and be considered stable
Ecosystem resistance
Ability of an ecosystem to absorb stress or disturbance
Ecosystem stability
Measure of the degree to which an ecosystem changes
- less change = more stable
Ecosystem resilience
Ability of an ecosystem to return its original state following disturbance
Threshold
Point at which an ecosystem
crosses into a new set of
stable states
Ecosystem function
Interaction of structural
components within and across
ecosystems
El Niño Southern Oscillation
- Warm current off west coast of Peru
- surface ocean temperatures rise
- Promotes storms over Pacific Ocean
La Niña
- Lower sea surface temperature
- Higher barometric pressure
- Usually brings drought
Habitat fragmentation
Translates to global decline in
ecosystem services
