Why is biodiversity important in an ecosystem and stability of the ecosystem?
Ecological life support biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many ecosystem services. The dynamical stability of populations and ecosystems governs their responsiveness to fluctuating environmental conditions and determines with what reliability these natural resources provide life-sustaining services to society. Population and ecosystem stability is thus a major structuring theme in ecology. Ecosystem stability is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain a steady state, even after a stress or disturbance has occurred. In order for an ecosystem to be considered stable, it needs to have mechanisms in place that help it return to its original state after a disturbance occurs.
Biodiversity is essential for an ecosystem and its stability because they generate resilience, the presence of various species play specific roles in the ecosystem, so if a species decreases in number or disappears, others can assume its role, maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. system; On the other hand, biodiversity contributes to keeping biogeochemical cycles in balance, since different species participate in different stages of the cycles, from decomposition to nutrient fixation.
Added to the above, biodiversity is essential for the functioning of ecosystem services, such as food production, water purification, pest control, crop pollination and the provision of medicines. Biodiversity loss can negatively affect the availability and properties of these services.