Question

How might the carrying capacity of a coastal ecosystem change as the result of a tsunami?

Answer 1

Answer:

A tsunami affects the carrying capacity by altering the ecosystem equilibrium. It causes a lack of food, shelter, and freshwater. It changes the ground pH, salinity, and 0xygen levels. Populations eventually decline.

The carrying capacity might be affected by different factors, known as limiting factors, which might be a result of the population density (for example, competition) or might be density-independent. This last case refers to dense-independent factors, and among these, we can mention human impact or natural disasters (fires, volcanic eruption, flooding).  

Natural disaster causes damages in an ecosystem, reducing the available resources such as food or shelter, and consequently decreases the population size. Natural disasters reduce the carrying capacity of the environment.  

A tsunami is an example of a natural disaster that acts as a limiting factor. The magnitude of tsunamis might cause different degrees of damages into the coastal ecosystems.