Question

What is meant by environmental balance??

Answer 1

In this lesson, we'll discuss what ecological balance is and how it's important for the function of an ecosystem. We'll also explore some examples of ecological balance.

Definition of Ecological Balance

In a society, there are many jobs that help keep things running smoothly. A doctor, mailman, garbage man, waitress, and farmer all play an important role in our society. Similar to a society, species in an ecosystem each have a role in keeping the ecosystem running smoothly. For example, predators keep the population of mice under control, insects pollinate flowers, and worms decompose leaf litter. All species are important and help keep the ecosystem balanced. Ecological balance is a term describing how ecosystems are organized in a state of stability where species coexist with other species and with their environment.

Even if an ecosystem is balanced, that doesn't mean that no changes ever occur. A windstorm might roll through wiping out a swath of trees, a predator might be overhunted, or a drought might reduce the availability of food resources. These ecological changes are called disturbances. A disturbance is any change that causes a disruption in the balance of an ecosystem.

You can think of ecosystems like a house of cards, with each card representing a species. Each card, or species, is necessary to keep the tower - the ecosystem - balanced, and removing one species can cause a chain reaction felt throughout the entire ecosystem. The good news is that an ecosystem will typically recover back to a balanced state after a disturbance occurs.

Examples of Ecological Balance

Answer 2

Ecological balance is a term describing how ecosystems are organized in a state of stability where species coexist with other species and with their environment. Even if an ecosystem is balanced, that doesn't mean that no changes ever occur.