In what ways can ecosystem disturbance change species composition and function?

In what ways can ecosystem disturbance change species composition and function?

• A. Disturbances can only affect non-living components of an ecosystem
• B. Disturbances have no impact on energy flow or nutrient cycles
• C. They can kill individuals, alter habitats, create opportunities for invasives, and shift energy flow and nutrient cycles
• D. Disturbances always increase the productivity of all species involved

Answer: (C)

Disturbance reshapes ecosystems by altering both living organisms and their habitat, which then changes who is present and how the system moves energy and nutrients. When a disturbance occurs, it can kill individuals and damage or remove habitat features, shifting which species can survive in the area. This creates openings for new organisms to colonize, including invasive species, so the composition of species changes over time. At the same time, disturbances disrupt established pathways of energy flow and nutrient cycling. For example, they can modify primary production, change the amount and type of organic matter entering the detrital food web, and alter soil chemistry or microbial activity. These changes can speed up or slow down nutrient mineralization and shift where energy is captured in the food web, which in turn affects the functional roles different species play. So disturbances don’t just touch non-living parts; they directly affect living communities and the processes that recycle nutrients and transfer energy. They also do not universally boost productivity for all species—some populations decline while others may thrive, depending on the disturbance and the context.

Disturbance reshapes ecosystems by altering both living organisms and their habitat, which then changes who is present and how the system moves energy and nutrients. When a disturbance occurs, it can kill individuals and damage or remove habitat features, shifting which species can survive in the area. This creates openings for new organisms to colonize, including invasive species, so the composition of species changes over time. At the same time, disturbances disrupt established pathways of energy flow and nutrient cycling. For example, they can modify primary production, change the amount and type of organic matter entering the detrital food web, and alter soil chemistry or microbial activity. These changes can speed up or slow down nutrient mineralization and shift where energy is captured in the food web, which in turn affects the functional roles different species play.

So disturbances don’t just touch non-living parts; they directly affect living communities and the processes that recycle nutrients and transfer energy. They also do not universally boost productivity for all species—some populations decline while others may thrive, depending on the disturbance and the context.