Intro to Ecological Disturbances

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Question 1: Does an ecosystem include the land (such as rocks) where animals live?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

Yes. An ecosystem is the community of living organisms in a place, the physical environment (like rocks) and their interactions.

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Is an ecosystem's “carrying capacity for a species” how much a species can carry?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

No. It’s the largest population size for a species that can be fed.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Are ecosystems dynamic?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

Yes. Their members are always changing (coming, going, being born and dying) and their interactions are always changing.

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Does “abiotic” refer to a type of antibiotic?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

No. It means non-living things.

Could a hurricane be a type of biotic disturbance to an ecosystem?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

No. Weather is not living, so it would be an abiotic disturbance (if severe enough).

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Could an infection that killed many trees be an abiotic disturbance?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

No. Infections are living (e.g., bacteria, fungi) so this would be a biotic disturbance.

Does higher resilience improve the chance of recovering from an ecological disturbance?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

Yes. And resilience is increased with biodiversity.

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Does greater biodiversity increase an ecosystem's resilience?

• No

• Yes

Answer explanation

Yes. Biodiversity can refer to the number of species and the variation within species.

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