What is the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions and significance of biodiversity in maintaining the stability of our environment?
Le rôle de la biodiversité dans le fonctionnement des écosystèmes (biodiversity role in ecosystems functioning) : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260096477_Le_role_de_la_biodiversite_dans_le_fonctionnement_des_ecosystemes
Biodiversity plays a critical role in ecosystem function and maintaining environmental stability by enhancing ecosystem productivity and fostering ecosystem resilience (Cardinale et al., 2012). A multitude of species in an ecosystem each contribute to energy processing, nutrient recycling, and the creation of habitat structures. Biodiversity can also boost ecosystem resistance to various disturbances, such as climate change, by increasing the likelihood of the presence of species with resilience traits (Isbell et al., 2015). In addition, the concept of "biotic resistance" suggests that biodiversity can prevent species from reaching harmful abundance levels that could disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. Therefore, preserving biodiversity is key to ensuring the long-term health and stability of our environment, upon which human well-being depends.
References:
Cardinale, B. J., Duffy, J. E., Gonzalez, A., Hooper, D. U., Perrings, C., Venail, P., Narwani, A., Mace, G. M., Tilman, D., Wardle, D. A., Kinzig, A. P., Daily, G. C., Loreau, M., Grace, J. B., Larigauderie, A., Srivastava, D. S., & Naeem, S. (2012). Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity. Nature, 486(7401), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11148
Isbell, F., Craven, D., Connolly, J., Loreau, M., Schmid, B., Beierkuhnlein, C., Bezemer, T. M., Bonin, C., Bruelheide, H., De Luca, E., Ebeling, A., Griffin, J. N., Guo, Q., Hautier, Y., Hector, A., Jentsch, A., Kreyling, J., Lanta, V., Manning, P., ... & Eisenhauer, N. (2015). Biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystem productivity to climate extremes. Nature, 526(7574), 574-577. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15374
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. And people also value nature of it. Greater biodiversity in ecosystems, species, and individuals leads to greater stability. As species with high genetic diversity and many populations that are adapted to a wide variety of conditions are more likely to be able to weather disturbances, disease, and climate change. Utilitarian values include the many basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine. Further, ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling, and control of agricultural pests. Biodiversity maintains the ecological balance. It helps in the healthy existence of humans and other species in the ecosystem. It helps in high productivity and human wellness. Biodiversity provides humans with valuable genetic diversity.Without biodiversity, our entire support system for human, as well as animal life would collapse. We rely on nature to provide us with food and clean water, for a lot of medicines, and to prevent flooding and other extreme weather effects. There are many factors that can affect biodiversity, including: habitat destruction and fragmentation, over-exploitation of resources, introduction of invasive species, climate change, pollution, and disease.
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