The melting and subsequent retreat of glaciers is a long process that may take centuries. Why is something so slow considered an extreme disturbance?(1 point)

Question

Responses

They move giant boulders and change the physical shape of the landscape.
They move giant boulders and change the physical shape of the landscape.
They strip away trees and destroy everything as they move.
They strip away trees and destroy everything as they move.
They leave behind bare rock with no established ecosystem.
They leave behind bare rock with no established ecosystem.
They will never grow back after they melt.

Answer 1

The correct response is: They leave behind bare rock with no established ecosystem.

Despite the slow pace of glacier melting and retreat, the process creates significant ecological disturbances by exposing bare rock, which can take a long time to develop into a stable ecosystem. This absence of vegetation and established biological communities creates an extreme disturbance in the environment.