Which type of feedback promotes stability in an ecosystem?

Negative feedback promotes stability in an ecosystem by acting to reverse changes and maintain equilibrium. In ecological systems, when a condition deviates from a set point or ideal state, negative feedback mechanisms trigger responses that mitigate the impact of that change. For instance, if a predator population decreases, this may lead to an increase in prey population. As the prey population rises, it can then provide more food for the predators, ultimately leading to a balance where both populations stabilize over time.

This mechanism helps ecosystems recover from disturbances and prevents any single species or component from dominating to the point of destabilization. By contrast, positive feedback amplifies changes, which can lead to rapid shifts and potentially catastrophic outcomes that disrupt ecosystem balance. Other types of feedback, such as indifferent or static feedback, do not influence stability in the same impactful way that negative feedback does. Therefore, negative feedback is essential for sustaining the delicate balance within ecosystems.