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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.

Stability of structures

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In mechanical engineering, the stability of systems under various forces is critical for designing durable and efficient structures. One fundamental way to explore these concepts is by analyzing systems like two rods connected at a pivot point, O, with a torsional spring of spring constant k at the pivot point. This system is similar in appearance to a scissor jack used to change tires on a car. In this case, the arms of the linkage (equivalent to the rods in this system) are entirely vertical,...

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Understanding the stability of equilibrium configurations is a fundamental part of mechanical engineering. In any system, there are three distinct types of equilibrium: stable, neutral, and unstable.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Published on: April 18, 2025

No complexity-stability relationship in empirical ecosystems.

Claire Jacquet^1,2,3, Charlotte Moritz^4,5, Lyne Morissette⁶

¹Département de Biologie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Quebec, Canada G5L 3A1.

Nature Communications

|August 25, 2016

Summary

Ecosystem stability is not linked to complexity in real-world food webs. Instead, specific interaction patterns and numerous weak links help stabilize ecological dynamics, challenging previous ecological theories.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Ecological Complexity
Ecosystem Stability

Background:

Understanding ecosystem stability is a major ecological challenge.
Robert May's theory suggested complex ecosystems are less stable than simple ones.
Empirical evidence for the complexity-stability relationship in natural ecosystems is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To empirically test the relationship between complexity and stability in natural food webs.
To investigate the factors driving stability in real-world ecosystems.

Main Methods:

Stability analysis of 116 quantitative food webs from global datasets.
Examination of classic complexity descriptors: species richness, connectance, and interaction strength.
Analysis of interaction correlations and interaction strength distribution.

Main Results:

No association found between classic complexity metrics (species richness, connectance, interaction strength) and food web stability.
A correlation in predator-prey effects and a high frequency of weak interactions were identified as stabilizing factors.
Empirical food webs exhibit non-random properties that prevent the expected complexity-stability relationship.

Conclusions:

The complexity-stability relationship does not hold for empirical food webs.
Non-random properties, such as reciprocal predator-prey effects and weak interactions, are crucial for ecosystem stability.
Future research should focus on these specific network structures rather than general complexity.