Name: disturbance patterns and biodiversity
Uploaded: 2026-06-01T06:27:52.322Z
Duration: 2 min 26 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Biology

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS.Bio.5.1

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological communities constantly change as the number and types of species in a community shift over time.
 
 One major reason for these changes is ecological disturbance, which can be triggered by many different factors.
 
 Natural physical factors, such as drought, can cause ecological disturbances. Biological factors, such as disease, can also disturb an ecosystem. Today, human activities, such as deforestation, create some of the largest disturbances.
 
 These events change the makeup of an ecosystem by adding or removing organisms or by changing the amount of available resources.
 
 The intensity of a disturbance affects how strongly it impacts an ecosystem. For example, a low-intensity storm may damage only a few trees. On the other hand, a high-intensity flood may wipe out many plants and animals in the affected area.
 
 The geographic extent of a disturbance also affects an ecosystem. When a single tree falls, it causes only local damage. But a wildfire can spread across hundreds of miles and affect entire landscapes.
 
 The frequency of disturbance is another important factor. In some ecosystems, a single fire can help a forest recover by promoting regrowth and recycling soil nutrients. Repeated fires can harm the ecosystem. They reduce the time available for native plants to recover and lower soil fertility.
 
 Ecological disturbances influence species diversity in a community. Ecologists have proposed a pattern that helps explain this relationship.
 
 The intermediate disturbance hypothesis states that moderate levels of disturbance can support higher diversity than very high or very low levels of disturbance.
 
 High levels of disturbance can lower diversity because only fast-colonizing species can establish quickly. Slower-growing species do not get enough time to establish.
 
 Low levels of disturbance can also reduce diversity. When disturbances rarely happen, highly competitive species can dominate resources and prevent less competitive species from becoming established.

Dornelas, Maria. "Störung und Veränderung der Artenvielfalt." Philosophische Transaktionen der Royal Society of London. Reihe B, Biologische Wissenschaften. Die Royal Society, 27. November 2010. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2982012/" target="_blank">Quelle</a>]

Ökologische störung

Eine &#xF6;kologische St&#xF6;rung ist eine vor&#xFC;bergehende St&#xF6;rung der Umwelt infolge abiotischer, biotischer oder anthropogener Faktoren, die zu einer ausgepr&#xE4;gten Ver&#xE4;nderung in einem &#xD6;kosystem f&#xFC;hrt. Die Auswirkungen einer &#xF6;kologischen St&#xF6;rung, die von ihrer Intensit&#xE4;t, H&#xE4;ufigkeit und r&#xE4;umlichen Verteilung abh&#xE4;ngen kann, spielen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Gestaltung der Artenvielfalt innerhalb des &#xD6;kosystems.
 
 &#xD6;kologische St&#xF6;rungen k&#xF6;nnen von einem so kleinem Ereignis wie das Zertreten von Unterholz bis hin zu einem weitreichenden Vorfall wie einem Waldbrand oder einer Flut reichen. Nat&#xFC;rliche Ereignisse wie Vulkanausbr&#xFC;che und Orkane, biologische St&#xF6;rungen wie Abgrasen und Sch&#xE4;dlingsausbr&#xFC;che und menschliche Aktivit&#xE4;ten wie die Entwaldung k&#xF6;nnen zur Entstehung &#xF6;kologischer St&#xF6;rungen beitragen.
 
 Wichtige biologische Prozesse wie Sterblichkeit, Fortpflanzung, Bewegung und soziales Verhalten innerhalb der Populationen in einem &#xD6;kosystem k&#xF6;nnen durch St&#xF6;rungen beeinflusst werden. Schwere St&#xF6;rungen, die zu einer hohen Sterblichkeit f&#xFC;hren, k&#xF6;nnen die Bev&#xF6;lkerungsgr&#xF6;&#xDF;e verringern, was zu einem Verlust von genetischer Vielfalt f&#xFC;hrt, wenn die Erholungszeit der Bev&#xF6;lkerung und die Einwanderungsraten auf den Vorfall folgen. St&#xF6;rungen wirken sich auch auf die genetischen Unterschiede innerhalb einer Population aus, indem sie den genetischen Drift und die Migration beeinflussen.
 
 &#xD6;kologische St&#xF6;rungen verursachen Schwankungen in der St&#xE4;rke und Richtung der nat&#xFC;rlichen Selektion, was zu unvorhersehbaren Evolutionsmustern f&#xFC;hrt. Der Selektionsprozess nach einer St&#xF6;rung kann somit die phylogenetische Zusammensetzung von Gemeinschaften ver&#xE4;ndern.
 
 Die intermedi&#xE4;re St&#xF6;rungstheorie besagt, dass &#xF6;kologische St&#xF6;rungen zu einer maximalen Artenvielfalt f&#xFC;hren, wenn die St&#xF6;rung weder zu selten noch zu h&#xE4;ufig vorkommt. H&#xF6;chste Diversit&#xE4;t tritt bei moderaten St&#xF6;rungen auf, die durch intermedi&#xE4;re Intensit&#xE4;ts- und Frequenzniveaus gekennzeichnet sind.

Ökologische Störung

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced ...

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Education

Lehre

JoVE Core

Biologie

Ecology

Ökologie

Population and Community Ecology

Populations- und Gemeinschaftsökologie

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

KERNBEGRIFFE UND KONZEPTE

disturbance patterns and biodiversity

Ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in an environment that can change an ecosystem in a major way. It may come from abiotic, biotic, or human-caused factors. The size of the impact depends on the disturbance’s intensity, how often it happens, and how widely it spreads.

Disturbances can be very small or very large. Trampling underbrush is one example of a small disturbance. Forest fires and floods are larger examples. Natural events such as volcanoes and hurricanes can also disturb ecosystems. Biological causes include grazing and pest outbreaks. Human activities, such as deforestation, can create disturbance as well.

These changes affect important life processes in populations. Mortality, reproduction, movement, and social behavior can all shift after a disturbance. Severe disturbances can cause high mortality and reduce population size. If recovery is slow and immigration is low, the population may lose genetic diversity.

Ecological disturbance can also change genetic differences within a population. It can influence genetic drift and migration. Disturbance may alter the strength and direction of natural selection, which can lead to unpredictable evolutionary patterns. It can also change the phylogenetic composition of communities.

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis explains a common pattern in biodiversity. It states that species diversity is highest when disturbance is neither too rare nor too frequent. Moderate disturbance, with intermediate intensity and frequency, often supports the greatest diversity.

Disturbance Patterns and Biodiversity

what are populations and communities?

Population Size, Density, and Community Roles

Populations, metapopulations, and communities are key parts of ecology. Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same general area. A community includes multiple populations of different species that coexist and interact in one habitat. Populations are dynamic because they respond to biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors are living influences, and abiotic factors...

distribution and dispersion

Species Range and Spacing Patterns

Ecology looks at how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. It also examines where species live and how individuals are arranged within those areas. The geographic range of a species is the total area where its members are found. Dispersion is the pattern of spacing among individuals inside that range. Within a species’ geographic range, dispersion can follow three main patterns: uniform, random, or clumped. These patterns depend on environmental conditions and on...

life histories

Life History Strategies and Survivorship

Life history strategies show how organisms balance survival and reproduction across a lifetime. An organism’s life history includes birth, growth, sexual maturation, reproduction, and death. These patterns reflect trade-offs in how much energy and resources go to making offspring and caring for them. R-strategists and K-strategists show two common reproductive strategies. R-strategists, with r standing for rate, have high fecundity, or reproductive potential. They produce many offspring that...

energy budgets and reproductive strategies

Reproductive Trade-Offs in Life Cycles

Organisms must divide limited energy between growth, maintenance, and reproduction. These energy budgets create trade-offs. Energy used for reproduction cannot be used for survival or growth, so species follow different reproductive patterns. Semelparity and iteroparity are two main strategies on this continuum. Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime. They usually put most or all available resources into that single reproductive event and then die. This approach often...

population growth

Population Growth Curves and Carrying Capacity

Population growth changes with births, deaths, immigration, and emigration. When birth rates and immigration are higher than death rates and emigration, a population increases. When deaths and emigration are higher, the population decreases. These changes can be shown on a graph of population size over time. Under ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can grow exponentially. This produces a J-shaped growth curve. Such rapid growth is seen in newly introduced invasive species...

ecological niches

How Species Share Ecological Niches

Ecological niches describe how species fit into an ecosystem. A niche includes the living and nonliving factors that shape where an organism can live. Food resources, climate, and terrain are all part of that role. Two species cannot occupy the exact same niche in the same habitat for long. When their niches overlap too much, the competitive exclusion principle applies. One species will outcompete the other, and the weaker species must adapt or disappear. Similar species can still coexist...

symbiosis

Symbiosis and Species Interactions

Symbiosis and other close species interactions shape how organisms live together in a community. These long-term relationships can affect the distribution and abundance of the species involved. They also often lead to co-evolution, where species change in response to one another. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both species. A common example is ants and aphids. Aphids feed on phloem in plant stems with piercing mouthparts and release a sugary fluid. Ants feed on this fluid,...

competition

How Limited Resources Shape Competition

Competition happens when organisms need the same limited resources in an environment. It is a net-negative interaction because both competitors lose fitness when neither has full access to the resource. This can happen even without direct contact between the competing individuals or populations. Competition within a species is called intraspecific competition. It often helps control population size because rapid growth can lead to crowding and fewer available resources. Stronger individuals...

predator-prey interactions

Predator and Prey Evolution

Predator and prey evolution shapes how animals survive and reproduce. Predators gain energy by eating prey, while prey that avoid being eaten improve their fitness. Over time, both sides develop traits that help them win this struggle. Predators often evolve tools for attack, such as claws, teeth, and speed. Prey evolve defenses that help them escape or stay hidden. These defenses can include crypsis, or blending in with the background, aposematism, or warning coloration, and mimicry, which is...

keystone species

Sea Stars, Wolves, and Ecosystem Balance

Keystone species help keep ecosystems balanced. In ecology, biodiversity is often described by species richness, which is the number of species present, and evenness, which is how evenly those species are represented. Community structure can also be shaped by abiotic factors such as sunlight and nutrients, disturbances such as fire or flood, species interactions such as predation or competition, and chance events such as the invasion of a foreign species. A keystone species has a much larger...

ecological disturbance

Ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in an environment that can change an ecosystem in a major way. It may come from abiotic, biotic, or human-caused factors. The size of the impact depends on the disturbance’s intensity, how often it happens, and how widely it spreads. Disturbances can be very small or very large. Trampling underbrush is one example of a small disturbance. Forest fires and floods are larger examples. Natural events such as volcanoes and hurricanes can also disturb...

ecological succession

How Succession Shapes Ecosystem Recovery

Ecological succession is shaped by facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. These processes explain how one community changes into the next after a disturbance or a new surface becomes available. Early species can either help, block, or simply coexist with later species. Facilitation happens when pioneer species make conditions better for later species. They may increase nutrients, water, or light. In inhibition, early species make conditions worse by limiting resources. In some cases, later...

key terms and concepts

Learn how ecological disturbances like fires, floods, grazing, and deforestation affect population size, genetic diversity, and species diversity.

Disturbance Patterns and Biodiversity | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

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Die JoVE-Serie erweckt die Biologie durch über 300 prägnante und leicht verständliche animierte Video-Lektionen zum Leben, die Schlüsselkonzepte der Biologie erklären, sowie durch mehr als 150 Videos von Wissenschaftlern in der Praxis, die aktuelle Forschungsexperimente in den Labors von heute zeigen.

Earth and Environmental Science

Earth and Human Activity

ESS.EES.5.1

ESS.EES.6.1

ESS.EES.6.2

ESS.EES.6.3

Earth's Systems

ESS.EES.4.1

Pennsylvania State Academic Standards

Earth and Space Science

3.3.9-12.H

History of Earth

3.3.9-12.J

Human Sustainability

3.3.9-12.O

Life Science

interdependent-relationships-in-ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.I

3.1.9-12.L

3.1.9-12.M

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Earth Science

Earth’s Systems

HS-ESS2-1

HS-ESS2-4

HS-ESS2-6

Life Sciences

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy And Dynamics

HS-LS2-1

HS-LS2-6

Environmental Science

Environmental Awareness And Protection

HS-EVS2-3

HS-LS2-7

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

Diversity And Interdependence Of Life

Biodiversity

Loss of diversity

Physical Geology

Earth's Resources

Soil and sediment

Tennessee Academic Standards

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

BIO1.LS2.5

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

BIO.7

BIO.7.b

BIO.8

BIO.8.c

LS.8

LS.8.b

LS.8.c

LS.9

LS.9.b

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Earth Systems Science

112.49.c.12.

112.49.c.12.A.

112.49.c.12.B.

112.49.c.12.C.

new-jersey-student-learning-standards-for-science

New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science

Alabama Course of Study Science

9-12.EVS.3.5

9-12.EVS.4.9

9-12.EVS.4.12

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-ESS3-1

HS-ESS3-3

BIO.13

BIO.13.A

south-carolina-college-and-career-ready-science-standards

South Carolina College and Career Ready Science Standards

B-LS2-1.

B-LS2-2.

B-LS2-6.

Earth and Space Science (ESS)

E-ESS3-2.

Georgia Standards of Excellence

SEV2.

SEV2.c

SEC3.

SEC3.e

What are Biogeochemical Cycles?

The most common elements in organic molecules, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, are only available in the ecosystem in limited ...

The Water Cycle

The Earth&rsquo;s hydrosphere includes all of the areas where the storage and movement of water occurs. Since water is the basis of all living processes, ...

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among ...

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of ...

The Phosphorus Cycle

Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, phosphorus is not present in the atmosphere as a gas. Instead, most phosphorus in the ecosystem exists as compounds, ...

The Sulfur Cycle

Sulfur, an important element in the chemical makeup of proteins, is recycled through the atmosphere and aquatic and terrestrial environments. Found in the ...

Use models to illustrate how processes in organisms contribute to the flow of energy and the cycling of matter within an ecosystem.

LS.Bio.4.1

What are Populations and Communities?

Populations are groups of individuals of the same species that inhabit a shared environment. Communities include multiple co-existing, interacting ...

Distribution and Dispersion

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and with one another. An important aspect of ecology is understanding where species ...

Life Histories

Constrained by limited energy and resources, organisms must compromise between offspring quantity and parental investment. This trade-off is represented ...

Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies

Organisms must balance energy intake with the energy required for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. These trade-offs result in a variety of ...

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with ...

Use models to explain the relationship between the flow of energy and cycling of matter among organisms in an ecosystem.

LS.Bio.4.2

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors&#x2014;including food resources, climate, and ...

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species ...

Keystone Species

Measures of species biodiversity, such as richness (i.e., the number of species present) and evenness (i.e., their relative abundance), describe an ...

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those ...

Competition

When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. ...

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction ...

Use mathematics and computational thinking to explain how interactions between organisms (predator/prey, competition) affect carrying capacity and maintain stability in an ecosystem.

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity ...

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species ...

Biodiversity and Human Values

Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather ...

Engage in argument from evidence to evaluate various solutions to reduce the impact of human activities on biodiversity and ecosystem health.

LS.Bio.5.2

Analyze the relationships between matter and energy within ecosystems.

Disturbance Patterns and Biodiversity

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