Disturbance

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-008292",
  "term": "Disturbance",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. Any event or series of events that disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment (modified from White and Pickett, 1985).\n\n2. Any event or series of events that disrupt ecosystem, community, or population structure and alters the physical environment.\n\n3. An event or change in the environment that alters the composition and successional status of a biological community and may deflect succession onto a new trajectory, such as a forest fire or hurricane, glaciation, agriculture, and urbanization.",
  "subject": "General environmental",
  "references": [
    "Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Glossary",
    "Terms of Environment",
    "USGS Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources Vol. 2 Glossary at http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/sandt/Glossary.pdf"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/disturbance/"
}