What does ecological resilience mean?

• A. The ability of an ecosystem to absorb disturbances and return to its original state or adapt to a new one
• B. The maximum population a habitat can support
• C. The rate of photosynthesis in producers
• D. The total biomass at equilibrium

Answer: (A)

Ecological resilience is about how an ecosystem handles shocks and keeps working. It describes the capacity to absorb disturbances—like fires, storms, drought, or human impacts—and still function, either by bouncing back to the way it was or by adjusting to a new, stable condition that supports life. So an ecosystem with high resilience can recover quickly after a disturbance, or it can shift to a different but workable state if the original is no longer feasible.

For example, after a wildfire, a forest might regrow and return to its previous composition, or it could transition to a different community that remains healthy and productive. The other options miss this idea: the maximum population an area can support is about carrying capacity, the rate of photosynthesis is about primary productivity, and total biomass at equilibrium is about the amount of living matter in a steady state. None of those describe how ecosystems cope with disturbances and recover or adapt.