<P> Although the characteristics of any ecological system are susceptible to changes, during a defined period of time, some remain constant, oscillate, reach a fixed point or present other type of behaviour that can be described as stable . This multitude of trends can be labeled by different types of ecological stability . </P> <P> Dynamical stability refers to stability across time . </P> <P> A stable point is such that a small perturbation of the system will be diminished and the system will come back to the original point . On the other hand, if a small perturbation is magnified, the stationary point is considered unstable . </P> <P> Local stability indicates that a system is stable over small short - lived disturbances, while global stability indicates a system highly resistant to change in species composition and / or food web dynamics . </P>

Why do populations of animals in natural systems fluctuate at steady state