Large-scale disturbances can prevent landscapes from reaching equilibrium

Evidence

On the other hand, where the spatial scale of disturbances is large relative to any consistent unit of landscape or vegetation (Caine and Swanson, 1983; Romme, 1982; Romme and Knight, 1981), equilibrium in landscapes may be prevented. This is exemplified by forests in western North American mountains. Further exam­ ples in which disturbance does not produce cyclic, steady-state change include the interaction of bamboo demography and tree regeneration (Veblen, Chapter 3, this volume) and disturbances that result in permanent directional trends in site re­ sources (Walker et αϊ., 1981). Climatic shifts, which influence disturbance regimes, occur on the same time scales as some disturbances themselves (Neilson and Wullstein, 1983) and may prevent equilibration with the disturbance regime. — S. T. A. Pickett and P. S. White, eds., The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and…, 2272

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Man-controlled burning can still yield a natural ecosystem — Miron L. Heinselman, Fire in the Virgin Forests of the…, 477; A species’ presence can transform a landscape more than its physical mass suggests. — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac: With Other…, 493; Equilibrium succession models give way to a kinetic view accepting site instability — S. T. A. Pickett and P. S. White, eds., The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and…, 367 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Disturbance is an act of renewal when its frequency is balanced #qualifies (0.80) — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss, 305