Biodiversity - Ecological Role of Biodiversity
Origin of Life and Biodiversity Evolution | Benefits
of Biodiversity | Ecological
Role of Biodiversity
Economic Role of Biodiversity | Ethical
Role of Biodiversity | Scientific
Role of Biodiversity | Measurement
of Biodiversity
Biodiversity: Time and Space | Species
Inventory | Hotspots of Biodiversity | Threats
to Biodiversity
Biodiversity Management: Conservation,
Preservation and Protection | Juridical
Status of Biological Diversity
Ecological Role of Biodiversity
All species provide some kind of function to an ecosystem. They can capture and store energy, produce organic material, decompose organic material, help to cycle water and nutrients throughout the ecosystem, control erosion or pests, fix atmospheric gases, or help regulate climate.
Ecosystems also provide various supports of production (soil fertility, pollinators of plants, predators, decomposition of wastes...) and services such as purification of the air and water, stabilisation and moderation of the climate, decrease of flooding, drought and other environmental disasters.
These functions are important for ecosystem function and human survival.
Research suggests that a more diverse an ecosystem is better able withstand environmental stress and consequently is more productive. The loss of a species is thus likely to decreases the ability of the system to maintain itself or to recover from damage or disturbance. Just like a species with high genetic diversity, an ecosystem with high biodiversity may have a greater chance of adapting to environmental change. In other words, the more species comprising an ecosystem, the more stable the ecosystem is likely to be. The mechanisms underlying these effects are complex and hotly contested. In recent years, however, it has become clear that there are real ecological effects of biodiversity.
Unusual and wild strains of maize are collected to increase the crop diversity when selectively breeding domestic corn.
From Wikipedia.