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Related Concept Videos

Ecological Disturbance02:26

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.
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The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the...
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All organisms in an ecosystem occupy a trophic level in the food chain. The lowest level consists of primary producers, which synthesize their food from either solar or chemical energy. Each subsequent level obtains energy from the levels below. Detritivores can occupy any of the levels above primary producers.
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Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.
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When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
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Ecological Niches02:02

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All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 23, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
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Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

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Infected food web and ecological stability.

Akihiko Mougi1

  • 1Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, 690-8504, Japan. amougi@gmail.com.

Scientific Reports
|May 17, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Parasites significantly impact food web stability by altering host behavior. Lower virulence and higher transmission rates in diseases can stabilize ecosystems, especially when infected hosts reduce activity.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Parasitology
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • Parasites are increasingly recognized for their ecological roles, yet their precise impact on food web dynamics remains under-theorized.
  • Previous models often simplified parasite effects to mortality or virulence, neglecting behavioral changes that alter host interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how parasites, by affecting host activity and interaction strengths, influence food web stability.
  • To explore the differential effects of parasite virulence and infection rates on ecosystem stability.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a theoretical food web model incorporating parasites that modify host mortality and interaction strengths.
  • Simulation analysis to assess the impact of varying virulence and infection rates on food web stability under different interaction scenarios.

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Main Results:

  • Parasite effects on stability are minimal when host interaction strengths remain unchanged.
  • Reduced host activity due to infection significantly enhances food web stability, particularly with lower virulence and higher transmission rates.
  • Stabilizing effects are more pronounced in cascade food webs compared to random food webs.

Conclusions:

  • Parasite-induced changes in host foraging behavior are critical drivers of food web stability.
  • Parasitic diseases can play a key role in maintaining ecosystem stability by weakening species interactions.