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Ecological Disturbance

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An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.

Distribution and Dispersion

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Diversity-disturbance relationships: frequency and intensity interact.

Alex R Hall¹, Adam D Miller, Helen C Leggett

¹Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. alex.hall@env.ethz.ch

Biology Letters

|May 26, 2012

Summary

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) may not always maximize species diversity. Disturbance frequency and intensity interact to shape diversity-disturbance relationships (DDRs) in microbial communities.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Microbial Ecology
Theoretical Ecology

Background:

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts maximal species diversity at intermediate disturbance levels.
Empirical studies show varied diversity-disturbance relationships (DDRs), creating a conflict in scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the factors influencing the diversity-disturbance relationship (DDR).
To reconcile conflicting empirical evidence on the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH).

Main Methods:

Utilized experimental microbial populations.
Manipulated disturbance frequency and intensity to observe effects on species diversity.

Main Results:

The form of the DDR is contingent on the interaction between disturbance frequency and intensity.
Observed monotonically increasing, unimodal, or flat DDRs based on disturbance parameters.
Results align with recent theoretical predictions.

Conclusions:

The relationship between disturbance and species diversity is complex and context-dependent.
The findings provide a potential resolution for the conflicting empirical data on the IDH.