What is a disturbance response?

Responses to disturbance are key systems that are directly impacted by punctuated disturbance events. These systems show clear responses to disturbance that can be quantified through survey metrics. Studying response dynamics can help to understand the interactions and impacts of changing disturbance regimes.

Invasive Plants

Disturbance events can create ideal coniditions for invasive plant species to spread in forested ecosystems. Forest patches caused by fallen trees or eroded stream banks promote the growth of early successional herbaceous species and non-native invasive pests that outcompete native genera. Although disturbance events can be part of a health ecosystem, increased severity, frequency and extent of these events can decrease forest resiliency and impact the regeneration of native plant communities. Regularly conducting vegetation surveys can capture possible indirect effects of disturbance on plant species composition.