Ecological resilience

Definition

Ecological resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to absorb disturbances while maintaining its essential structure, processes, and functions. This concept emphasizes how ecosystems can adapt to changes, including climate shifts, and continue to thrive despite various stressors. Resilience plays a critical role in understanding how biomes respond to environmental changes and the potential impacts on biodiversity.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Ecosystems with high biodiversity tend to exhibit greater ecological resilience, as diverse species can fulfill various roles and provide stability.
2. Resilience is not just about recovering from disturbances; it also includes the capacity for transformation into a new state if conditions change significantly.
3. Climate change can impact ecological resilience by altering species interactions, shifting habitats, and introducing new stressors such as invasive species.
4. Ecosystems may reach a tipping point where their resilience is compromised, resulting in a shift to an alternative stable state with different characteristics.
5. Management practices aimed at enhancing resilience can include habitat restoration, conservation of diverse species, and sustainable resource use.

Review Questions

• How does ecological resilience relate to the capacity of biomes to withstand climate change?
  • Ecological resilience refers to the ability of biomes to absorb disturbances, such as those caused by climate change, while still maintaining their key functions and structures. A biome with high resilience can recover from events like droughts or floods more effectively than one with low resilience. This adaptability is crucial as changing climate conditions may cause shifts in species composition and habitat structure within biomes.
• In what ways does biodiversity contribute to the ecological resilience of ecosystems affected by climate change?
  • Biodiversity enhances ecological resilience by providing a greater variety of species that can perform essential ecological functions. This diversity allows ecosystems to better adapt to disturbances and recover from stressors related to climate change. For example, a diverse array of plant species can ensure that some will thrive under altered conditions, maintaining ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling.
• Evaluate the long-term implications of declining ecological resilience due to climate change on global biodiversity.
  • Declining ecological resilience can have serious long-term implications for global biodiversity. As ecosystems become less capable of absorbing disturbances, they may shift to alternative states that support fewer species or entirely different communities. This loss of resilience could lead to extinctions and reduced genetic diversity, ultimately threatening the stability of ecosystems and the services they provide. Furthermore, decreased biodiversity weakens ecological networks, making it more difficult for ecosystems to recover from future climate-induced changes.

Related terms

Biodiversity:

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of species and genetic diversity within those species.

Ecosystem Services:

The benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, such as clean air and water, pollination of crops, and climate regulation.

Threshold Effects: Points at which a relatively small change can lead to significant alterations in an ecosystem's structure or function.