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#ecological balance

8 public questions tagged with this topic.

As species accumulate on an island, immigration rates generally:

“Decrease” for as species accumulate on an island, immigration rates generally. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Island biogeography explains species richness as a dynamic balance between immigration and extinction. Immigration generally declines as an island fills with species, whereas extinction rises as more species divide finite area and maintain smaller populations. The remaining alternatives—“Increase”, “Remain constant”, “Fluctuate randomly”—refer to different states, process

Ref: Biogeography, Lomolino et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 1-4

Control involving predators controlling prey:

“Top-down control” for control involving predators controlling prey. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Species management must identify the demographic stage and ecological process that most strongly limits population growth. Prevention, early detection, removal, habitat manipulation, and biological control act at different points in an invasion or recovery trajectory. The remaining alternatives—“Bottom-up control”, “Wasp-waist control”, “Abiotic control”—refer to different states, p

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 21

Keystone species primarily influence ecosystems by:

“Controlling population sizes of other species” for keystone species primarily influence ecosystems by. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Rates depend on temperature, moisture, substrate quality, consumer physiology, and the elemental balance between organisms and their food. These controls explain why the same process can differ among terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems without changing its definition. The remaining alternatives—“Increasing competition”, “Having high biomass

Ref: NCERT Biology Class 12, Ch. 15 Biodiversity and Conservation

Colonization rates balanced by extinction rates:

“Over a long period of time” for colonization rates balanced by extinction rates. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Island biogeography explains species richness as a dynamic balance between immigration and extinction. Immigration generally declines as an island fills with species, whereas extinction rises as more species divide finite area and maintain smaller populations. The remaining alternatives—“Initially, then diverge”, “Only on large islands”, “Only on small islands”—refer to

Ref: The Theory of Island Biogeography, MacArthur & Wilson, Ch. 2-4

Population stabilizes when:

Net reproductive rate R0 measures generational replacement. An R0 of 1 means that, on average, each female produces exactly one daughter that survives through the relevant life-table schedule, replacing herself in the next generation. Under unchanging conditions, successive generations therefore maintain the same expected size. Values above 1 cause generational increase, and values below 1 cause decline. This replacement criterion is analogous to λ = 1 and r = 0, though R0, λ, and r refer to different temporal formulations and should not be substituted numerically without generation-time infor

Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 11

Which ecosystem supports longest food chains?

“Ocean” for which ecosystem supports longest food chains. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Rates depend on temperature, moisture, substrate quality, consumer physiology, and the elemental balance between organisms and their food. These controls explain why the same process can differ among terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems without changing its definition. The remaining alternatives—“Temperate forests”, “Tropical rainforests”, “Desert”—refer to different states, processes,

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 17-19

Which is likely to improve ecosystem stability?

Omnivores feed across more than one trophic level and can provide alternative energy pathways when one resource declines. Such flexible links may damp population fluctuations and reduce dependence on a single prey species, thereby improving stability under some conditions. More specialists and fewer links can make communities vulnerable to loss of particular resources, while strictly linear chains offer little redundancy. Nevertheless, omnivory can destabilise certain models, so the relationship is conditional rather than universal. Rates must be compared on the same area, biomass, leaf-area,

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 17-19