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From grasslands to microbes: Which ecosystems show surprising stability?
In ecology, the stability of an ecosystem refers to its ability to quickly return to its equilibrium state when faced with disturbances, or resilience. Unlike community stability, ecological stability takes a more holistic view of the performance of the entire ecosystem and can be stable on some characteristics and unstable on others. It has been demonstrated in the scientific literature that stable ecosystems can be found everywhere in nature, with grassland plant and microbial communities being the most frequently studied.
Not every community or ecosystem is stable, and many times they face unexpected changes and challenges.
The concept of stability was gradually formed in the early 20th century, and the scope of use of this term has continued to expand with the progress of theoretical ecology. In order to clarify the meaning of this term, many scientists have proposed replacing it with more specific terms, such as constancy, resilience, and persistence. However, such changes have also made the concept of ecological stability more vague, resulting in as many as 70 different definitions and concepts.
Stability Analysis
When species abundances are dealt with by a system of equations, it is common to test stability by linearizing the system. This approach is derived from the stability analysis used by Robert May in the 1970s, exploring the relationship between diversity and stability through the Jacobian matrix.
May's stability criterion implies that dynamic stability is constrained by diversity, and the stringency of this constraint is related to the amplitude of the interaction fluctuations.
Stability Type
The characteristics of stability vary over time, with some systems remaining constant or showing cyclical changes. These trends can be divided into several types, including dynamic stability, local stability, and global stability.
Dynamic stability
Dynamic stability refers to the stability of a system over time. Whether the system can return to its original state under small disturbances is an important basis for evaluating stability. A stable point means that small disturbances will be suppressed, while a small disturbance can be amplified and is considered unstable. Local stability emphasizes the stability of the system in a short period of time, while global stability involves the stability of the entire ecosystem.
Resistance and Inertia
Resistance refers to the system's resistance to external influences, while inertia refers to the system's ability to remain stable after external disturbances. According to E.C. Pielou, the time it takes for mature ecosystems to be established means that ecosystem changes tend to be slow and they usually do not adapt immediately to rapid climate change.
Stability and diversity
The relationship between stability and diversity has been extensively studied. Diversity improves the stability of ecosystems in the face of environmental disturbances, and its effects can be seen at the genetic level, the community level, and the landscape level. Some studies even show that the diversity of microbial communities may exhibit different stabilities in different environments.
Historical BackgroundThe term ecology was first coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866. In the following decades, many scientists conducted in-depth research on the structure and diversity of ecosystems, forming a rich theoretical background.
To this day, the stability of ecosystems remains an important research topic, and scientists continue to raise new questions to explore more ecological phenomena. Ultimately, we can't help but wonder: How stable can our ecosystems remain in the face of an ever-changing environment?
