Explain how the intensity of disturbances can affect equilibrium and species diversity.

The high intensity disturbance is likely to reduce the diversity of species by creating environmental stress that can be responsible for exceeding the tolerance of many species the intolerant species is likely to be excluded. This will affect the equilibrium of the species diversity as non-adapting and intolerant species population may reduce or extinct.

For example, the fire is an ecological factor. The forest fire is utilized by some plants for the dispersal of seed by burning of the hard coat fruits like pine cones but it reduces the population of weed species. Thus this affect the equilibrium of the species diversity.

The equilibrium becomes unbalanced and since the species go extinct or move to a safe area, the diversity of species stops and are not able to grow.

Explanation:

Disturbance due to frequent forest fires or human impacts like deforestation leads to all species at risk of going extinct. It acts to disrupt stable ecosystems and clear species' habitat. As a result, disturbances lead to species movement into the newly cleared area.