ShmoopTube

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Here’s your shmoop du jour, brought to you by ecosystems… [Water falling in a pond]

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…which are generally much less… angst-ridden than emosystems.

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Which of the following would cause a disruption to the dynamic homeostasis of ecosystems?

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And here are the potential answers...

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More simply put, the question is, “what could cause the natural state of the environment

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to change?”

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Well, the introduction of a new species into an environment can cause big problems. [A cow giving birth]

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Without any natural predators or other factors to keep its reproduction in check, it can

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soon wreak havoc. [Lots of deers appear]

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For example, rabbits brought to Australia by European settlers soon bred like, well…rabbits,

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leading to the extinction of many native plants.

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So let’s not cross A off our list just yet…

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What about B - People altering the environment?

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What happens if you chop down a forest? [A forest with lots of trees chopped down]

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Other than, you know…the trees screaming…

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Everything that lived there becomes homeless. [Animals in a deserted forest]

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And that certainly qualifies as being disruptive.

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So B could be right, too…

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Then there’s C… natural disasters.

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Not much you can do about these, right? [A palm tree blowing in the wind]

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“Hurricanes happen.”

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And when they do, any ecosystem in its path is in for some big changes.

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So C is looking good as well…

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The correct answer is D:

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All of the above.

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Invasive species, human impact, and natural disasters can all cause a disruption in the

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balance of an ecosystem. [Explosions appear all over the Earth]

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We are definitely not a fan of disruptions in balance.

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What an awful time to have to try and catch a Frisbee… [Dog catching a frisbee]

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