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#ecological stability

4 public questions tagged with this topic.

Lotka Volterra Model

When both isoclines cross, and interspecific competition < intraspecific, the result is:

“Stable coexistence” for when both isoclines cross, and interspecific competition < intraspecific, the result is. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Species interactions are classified by their net effects on the fitness of each participant, but those effects can change with density, resource supply, life stage, and environmental stress. Competition reduces access to shared limiting factors, whereas predation and parasitism transfer resources from victim to consumer. The remaining alt

Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 13-14

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Lotka Volterra Model

Which condition leads to stable coexistence of two species?

“Intraspecific competition > interspecific” for which condition leads to stable coexistence of two species. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Coexistence requires stabilizing differences that make each species limit itself more strongly than it limits its competitor, or an equalizing process that keeps fitness differences small. Without such mechanisms, persistent competitive asymmetry tends toward exclusion. The remaining alternatives—“Interspecific competition > intraspecific”, “Eq

Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 13-14

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Ecosystem Pyramid

Why is energy pyramid more stable than biomass pyramid?

An energy pyramid is never inverted under consistent boundaries because each trophic level can convert only a fraction of the preceding level’s production into its own production. This makes its shape more robust than a biomass pyramid, which can change with season, lifespan, and turnover. The deeper mechanism is respiratory heat loss plus incomplete consumption and assimilation; “never inverted” describes the outcome rather than the cause. Rate-based energy measurement therefore avoids misleading snapshots of rapidly renewed producers such as phytoplankton. A snapshot may differ seasonally, e

Ref: Fundamentals of Ecology, Odum & Barrett, 5th Ed., Ch. 3

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