How does biodiversity help maintain the stability of an ecosystem?
Generally speaking, greater species diversity (alpha diversity) leads to greater ecosystem stability. This is termed the “diversity–stability hypothesis.” An ecosystem that has a greater number of species is more likely to withstand a disturbance than an ecosystem of the same size with a lower number of species.
Why is biodiversity so important and worthy of protection?
Healthy ecosystems clean our water, purify our air, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. … Biodiversity is the key indicator of the health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a limited number of them in large populations.
It has been shown that biodiversity of an area has a large impact on the ecosystem stability of that area. … This increase in complexity makes it more likely that the ecosystem will return to a stable state after a disturbance, because the ecosystem has more ways to respond to a disturbance and fix problems.
Does diversity always lead to stability?
Viewpoint: Yes, greater species diversity does lead to greater stability in ecosystems. … Ecologists tend to focus their attention on species diversity, also known as biodiversity, within particular ecosystems, although ecosystems are always part of a larger continuum.
How does biodiversity increase ecosystem stability quizlet?
How can an increase in biodiversity lead to an increase in ecosystem stability? … An increase in the biodiversity of an ecosystem leads to an increase in its productivity. T. Ecosystems with greater biodiversity have an increased stability.
How does biodiversity affect the stability of an ecosystem quizlet?
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Why is protecting biodiversity important?
Biodiversity conservation protects plant, animal, microbial and genetic resources for food production, agriculture, and ecosystem functions such as fertilizing the soil, recycling nutrients, regulating pests and disease, controlling erosion, and pollinating crops and trees.
Why we should care about biodiversity conservation?
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.