2.1.21—Ecosystem sustainability
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 2.1.21
- Level
- SL
Steady State Is Dynamic
Ecosystem sustainability can appear as dynamic steady state: inputs and outputs balance over time while stores, populations and flows keep changing.
Look for a stable range, regeneration and feedback after disturbance, not frozen numbers. Individuals are born and die within the balance.
A forest’s biomass stays near an average while births, deaths and nutrient flows continue.
No; sustainable function can persist while individual populations fluctuate within limits.
Steady state is dynamic balance, not a frozen ecosystem.