Mastering Biology Practice Test

This pattern is habitat mosaic. In landscape ecology, a mosaic describes a landscape made up of discrete patches of different habitat types that arise or are maintained by disturbances such as fire, storms, logging, or other impacts. These disturbances break up a uniform environment into varied patches with different vegetation, age classes, and conditions, creating a patchwork that supports diverse species with different habitat needs. If a landscape were uniform, it would be relatively even in composition with few or no distinct patches. A predator-prey cycle refers to fluctuations in predator and prey populations over time, not the spatial arrangement of habitats. A keystone structure or species highlights a critical role in ecosystem function, but it doesn’t describe a landscape pattern of patches.