What role does biodiversity play in ecosystems?

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in enhancing ecosystem resilience and productivity. A diverse range of species within an ecosystem contributes to various ecological functions such as nutrient cycling, pollination, and pest control. This variety helps ecosystems to withstand environmental stressors like climate change, disease outbreaks, and invasive species.

Higher levels of biodiversity mean that there are more species that can adapt to changes and fill different ecological roles, which leads to more stable and productive ecosystems overall. For example, a diverse plant community can support a wider variety of herbivores, which in turn can support diverse carnivores. Consequently, ecosystems with rich biodiversity are often more productive because they can utilize resources (such as light, water, and nutrients) more efficiently.

In contrast, scenarios with limited biodiversity can lead to reduced productivity and increased vulnerability to disturbances, as fewer species mean fewer ecological interactions and redundancies that can buffer against changes or shocks to the system.