Why do moderate levels of disturbance result in an increase in community diversity?

• A. They allow for the coexistence of both competitive and less competitive species.
• B. They prevent any species from establishing, maintaining low diversity.
• C. They eliminate all species, leading to a reset of the community.
• D. They favor only the most competitive species, reducing diversity.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of ecological disturbance: Disturbance is any change that disrupts an ecosystem, community, or population structure, often leading to changes in resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment.
2. Recognize the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis: This hypothesis suggests that moderate levels of disturbance can increase species diversity by preventing any one species from dominating the ecosystem.
3. Analyze the effects of low disturbance: In environments with low disturbance, competitive species may dominate, reducing diversity as they outcompete less competitive species.
4. Analyze the effects of high disturbance: In environments with high disturbance, few species can survive the extreme conditions, leading to low diversity as many species are eliminated.
5. Conclude why moderate disturbance increases diversity: Moderate disturbance creates a balance where both competitive and less competitive species can coexist, as it prevents competitive exclusion and allows for a variety of niches to be occupied.