Ecosystem Stability
Ecosystem Stability - Related Videos
01:17
What is an Ecosystem?
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2019
Overview An ecosystem is the interaction between all abiotic and biotic factors in an environment and can be classified as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems are categorized based on the climate, including annual temperature, rainfall, and seasonality. Aquatic ecosystems are separated further into freshwater and marine, and then by depth, which influences water temperature and the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water. Terrestrial Ecosystems Terrestrial ecosystems are...
10:48
Nutrients in Aquatic Ecosystems
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Margaret Workman and Kimberly Frye - Depaul University Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential plant nutrients found in aquatic ecosystems and both are monitored as a part of water quality testing because in excess amounts they can cause significant water quality problems. Nitrogen in water is measured as the common form nitrate (NO3-) that is dissolved in water and readily absorbed by photosynthesizers such as algae. The common form of phosphorus measured is phosphate...
03:06
The Soil Ecosystem
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2026
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:Inorganic mineral matter, which constitutes about 40 to 45 percent of the soil volume.Organic matter, also known as humus, which makes up about 5 percent of the soil volume.Water and air, covering about 50 percent of...
03:18
Nuclear Stability
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2020
Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters. To hold positively charged protons together in the...
01:53
RNA Stability
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2019
Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
FAQs
Feedbacks connect population sizes, energy flow, nutrient cycling, and physical conditions. When changes in one part of an ecological community influence other components, those interactions can regulate how strongly the system shifts. Examining these relationships helps explain why some communities maintain their structure and function during environmental change, while others experience greater disruption.
Resistance describes how little an ecosystem changes during a disturbance, whereas resilience concerns its ability to recover afterward. These properties address different stages of environmental disruption, so a community may show limited immediate change or may undergo change but recover its structure and function. Distinguishing them clarifies how biological systems respond over time.
These processes provide complementary evidence about whether an ecological community continues functioning through change. Population regulation reflects interactions among organisms, while energy flow and nutrient cycling indicate how biological activity remains connected with the environment. Considering all three avoids judging stability from population size alone and gives a broader view of ecosystem structure and function.
Researchers can compare ecological structure and function as conditions change, examining population sizes, biodiversity, energy flow, and nutrient cycling. They can also distinguish immediate responses from later recovery to evaluate resistance and resilience separately. This approach links observed community changes to pressures such as climate variation, habitat loss, or other environmental disturbances.
Biodiversity is one factor researchers examine when evaluating how ecological communities respond to environmental pressure. Comparing communities with different levels or patterns of biological diversity can help identify relationships between community composition and the maintenance of structure and function. Such evidence contributes to broader assessments of biological persistence and ecosystem responses to change.
Stability information is useful when conservation or management decisions must account for environmental change. Assessing resistance and resilience can indicate whether a community is likely to remain functional during disruption or recover afterward. Researchers and managers can apply these findings to evaluate pressures such as habitat loss and climate variation and to anticipate possible future ecological responses.