What does the resilience of an ecosystem refer to?

The resilience of an ecosystem specifically refers to its ability to remain functional and stable despite disturbances such as natural disasters, climate change, or human activities. This means that even when faced with significant changes or stressors, a resilient ecosystem can recover, adapt, and continue to provide essential services and maintain biodiversity.

An ecosystem's resilience is crucial for its long-term sustainability, as it can mitigate the impacts of disruptions and maintain its ecological balance. For instance, when a forest experiences a wildfire, a resilient ecosystem will gradually recover through natural processes like regrowth and regeneration of species, rather than collapsing or undergoing significant degradation.

The other choices address different concepts related to ecosystems. The ability to resist external disturbances focuses more on prevention rather than recovery, while overall health of a population and diversity of species are important characteristics of ecosystems but do not directly define resilience.