Disturbance

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For the controls term, see control theory.

In ecology, a disturbance is a temporary change in average environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in ecosystem structure that lasts longer than the change in the environment. Disturbances may be natural or anthropogenic: fire, grazing, flood, landslide, drought. Ecosystem changes include altered populations or physiological behaviour of difference species as they respond to the stressful conditions imposed by the disturbance.

[edit] See also

• Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis