What contributes to the resilience of ecosystems?

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in the resilience of ecosystems. High levels of biodiversity enhance ecosystem stability and functionality by providing a wider range of responses to environmental changes. Diverse ecosystems are better able to withstand and recover from disturbances, such as natural disasters or human-induced changes, because they have a variety of species that fulfill different ecological roles. This variety helps to maintain ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling and energy flow, and increases the likelihood that some species will survive adverse conditions, further promoting recovery and adaptation.

In contrast, factors like land development, monoculture farming practices, and deforestation tend to diminish biodiversity, making ecosystems more vulnerable to stress and less capable of recovery after disturbances. By reducing the number of species and the complexity of ecological interactions, these practices undermine the natural resilience that biodiversity provides.