IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.5C Ecosystem Resilience Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.5C Ecosystem Resilience Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Resilience: Why Some Ecosystems Absorb Shocks and Others Collapse

Definition

Ecosystem resilience

Ecosystem resilience refers to an ecosystem’s ability to recover from disturbances and return to its original state or adapt to a new equilibrium.

An ecosystem's ability to tolerate disturbance and return to its steady-state equilibrium depends on its diversity and resilience.
Disturbances are normal and include fires, floods, storms, volcanic eruptions, and human activities.
A resilient system absorbs the shock and recovers; a fragile one shifts into an alternative stable state with different species and conditions.

Feedback and Tipping Points Decide the Outcome

Negative feedback is stabilising: it counteracts change and pulls the system back toward its steady state, which is the basis of resilience.
Positive feedback is amplifying: it drives change further in the same direction and can push the system toward a tipping point.
At a tipping point the system crosses a threshold and reorganises into a new state, often in a way that is hard to reverse (a regime shift).

Note

More diverse systems have more negative-feedback pathways, so they resist change and recover more easily.

What Makes an Ecosystem Resilient

Definition

Stability

Stability is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain structure and function over time, even in the face of stress or disturbances.

Species and genetic diversity
1. More species can perform the same role (functional redundancy), so if one is lost another takes over.
2. Genetic diversity within a species improves its chances of adapting to drought, disease, or temperature change.
3. On a coral reef, several herbivores graze algae, so losing one grazer still keeps algae in check and the reef intact.
Habitat diversity

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Definition

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Note

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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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Resilience: Why Some Ecosystems Absorb Shocks and Others Collapse

Definition

Ecosystem resilience

Ecosystem resilience refers to an ecosystem’s ability to recover from disturbances and return to its original state or adapt to a new equilibrium.

An ecosystem's ability to tolerate disturbance and return to its steady-state equilibrium depends on its diversity and resilience.
Disturbances are normal and include fires, floods, storms, volcanic eruptions, and human activities.
A resilient system absorbs the shock and recovers; a fragile one shifts into an alternative stable state with different species and conditions.

Feedback and Tipping Points Decide the Outcome

Negative feedback is stabilising: it counteracts change and pulls the system back toward its steady state, which is the basis of resilience.
Positive feedback is amplifying: it drives change further in the same direction and can push the system toward a tipping point.
At a tipping point the system crosses a threshold and reorganises into a new state, often in a way that is hard to reverse (a regime shift).

Note

More diverse systems have more negative-feedback pathways, so they resist change and recover more easily.

What Makes an Ecosystem Resilient

Definition

Stability

Stability is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain structure and function over time, even in the face of stress or disturbances.

Species and genetic diversity
1. More species can perform the same role (functional redundancy), so if one is lost another takes over.
2. Genetic diversity within a species improves its chances of adapting to drought, disease, or temperature change.
3. On a coral reef, several herbivores graze algae, so losing one grazer still keeps algae in check and the reef intact.
Habitat diversity

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

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Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

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Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
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Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

IB Environmental systems and societies 2.5C Ecosystem Resilience Notes

Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

Resilience: Why Some Ecosystems Absorb Shocks and Others Collapse

Feedback and Tipping Points Decide the Outcome

What Makes an Ecosystem Resilient

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Resilience: Why Some Ecosystems Absorb Shocks and Others Collapse

Feedback and Tipping Points Decide the Outcome

What Makes an Ecosystem Resilient

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account