5.1 Ecosystem Stability

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What is high biodiversity?

Back

Having a lot of variety of different organisms.

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What is biomagnification?

Back

The process when concentrations of a harmful substance increases in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web.

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How do humans negatively affect local ecosystems?

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Examples include building dams, deforestation, adding point sources to nearby streams, building roads and structures, and salting roads.

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What are the effects of deforestation?

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Loss of habitat, increased greenhouse gases, soil erosion, and flooding.

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What is an advantage of a biodiverse ecosystem?

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It can withstand changes in resources, recover more quickly from natural disasters, and withstand the immigration of a new predator.

Front

Define ecosystem stability.

Back

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time despite external stress.

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What is a trophic level?

Back

A level in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy and nutrients.

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What role do producers play in an ecosystem?

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Producers, such as plants, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

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What is the significance of keystone species?

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Keystone species have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance.

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What is ecological succession?

Back

The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time, often following a disturbance.