Question

explain how natural factors like drought or disease can affect the carrying capacity of an ecosystem and its biodiversity. (dok 3)
such events only affect species who rapidly overproduce offspring which leaves a more stable environment for those organisms who reproduce more slowly and spend more time raising their young, thereby increasing biodiversity.
natural disturbances often increase the overall primary productivity of an ecosystem by clearing out dominant climax species. this temporarily raises the carrying capacity for pioneer species and subsequently increases biodiversity.
drought or disease temporarily reduces population size but does not alter the carrying capacity because this is determined by factors such as climate, geology, and habitat structure.
these factors serve as density - dependent limiting factors that reduce the availability of critical resources, thereby decreasing the ecosystems carrying capacity, leading to a notable decrease in biodiversity.

Explanation:

• Option 1: Drought and disease don't specifically target fast - reproducing species. They can affect a wide range of species, so this option is incorrect.
• Option 2: Drought and disease are not disturbances that increase primary productivity. They are more likely to be negative impacts on the ecosystem, so this option is incorrect.
• Option 3: Drought and disease can alter the carrying capacity. For example, a long - term drought can change the habitat structure (less water available for plants and animals), so this option is incorrect.
• Option 4: Drought (reduces water availability - a critical resource) and disease (can kill organisms) are density - independent limiting factors (not related to population density in the sense of competition within the population). They reduce the availability of resources (e.g., water for drought, healthy individuals for disease) and thus decrease the carrying capacity. A decrease in carrying capacity means fewer resources for different species, leading to a decrease in biodiversity.

Answer:

D. These factors serve as density - dependent limiting factors that reduce the availability of critical resources, thereby decreasing the ecosystem’s carrying capacity, leading to a notable decrease in biodiversity.