The ecosystem also referred to as the ecological environment or community is made up of various living organisms from flora to fauna which are the primary components of the system. The variance and diversity of each living organism contribute to the natural coexistence between and within them, hence the establishment of stability within the ecosystem. Balance in the ecosystem is referred to as the ability of the organism to operate within a balanced state that does not interfere or hinder other organism’s well-being (Scherer-Lorenzen, 2001) . It is through the stability of the biodiversity within the ecosystem that influence humans since we solely depend on the diversity of the ecosystem for survival. Moreover, survival of other species within the ecosystem is guaranteed under the stability experienced in the environment. According to Elsa Cleland (2011), the balance of the ecosystem is primary interfered with by ‘disturbances’ that can occur as natural disasters like climate, human activities and the loss of species among many other reasons. Species diversity, on the other hand, is defined as the measure or amount of species within an ecological environment with their uniquely defined functions. Under species diversity, the richness, abundance, and variety of species are put into consideration for the sustainability and stability of the environment. Despite the sizes and amount of species within an ecosystem, they have a great significance to the existence of other species and the state of equilibrium of the ecosystem. Hence, each and every species in the ecosystem is just as vital. Genetic diversity is the total of all the genetic characterization and composition within a species’ genetic makeup (Anderton, n.d). Genetic diversity defines the functions of the species and its unique identifications as compared to the similar species. Considering that the ecosystem undergoes various changes for one reason or the other, it is the diversity in the genes that helps organism of a given population to adapt to the changes. Moreover, with the numerous environmental uncertainties, genetic diversity ensures that organisms are in a position to cope and minimize the harsh impacts of possible breeding between closely related organisms. Therefore, the ecosystem highly depends on the high genetic diversification of the population of species that are in a given environment.
Impact of Diversity on Stability
About Kevin Shea McCann (2000), the relationship between diversity and stability has resulted to interesting debates of whether or not diversity increases or decreases stability. As mentioned earlier, the state of ecological stability is the ability of all organisms to be favored in one way or another and be in a position to survive on the occurrence of any environmental changes or variations. Biodiversity may increase stability in various aspects. For instance, the decrease in genetic diversity may influence the decline of the availability of unusual species of the particular organism in question and on the other hand to reduce the existence of a dependent species and the stability of the ecosystem. For example, in the case of a reduction of robust and fast carnivorous animals, the availability of such animals with the capabilities of hunting and quickly reaching their target preys may immensely decrease leading to the increase of weak and slower animals of the predator species. Consequently, preys like rabbits and antelopes will quickly escape from the jaws of their predators, increasing their chances of survival ( Goodman, D. 1975) . The opportunities that these prey get to escape gives them an opportunity to multiply and increase in number. With the growth of the population of the rabbits, the availability of vegetation that includes grass decreases because of the large numbers of herbivorous organisms feeding on them. Hence, the environment may experience a strain and a decline in balance. Some environmental factors significantly impact the changes of species and genetic diversity. For example, wet climates enhance the growth of vegetation which is a source of food for most animals.
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Availability of enough food in the environment highly contributes to the increase in the number of both animals and plants. Therefore, in consideration of the herbivorous animals, growth in vegetation enhances the number of animals available due to the availability of enough food. As a result, the carnivorous will have plenty of food at their disposal because of the increase in the population of the herbivorous animals which ensures that stability is grown in the ecosystem.
MacArthur Diversity-Stability Hypothesis
The aspect of diversity-stability has faced different explanations and assumptions given out by various scholars and individual involved in doing research on the issues of biodiversity. In the case of MacArthur, he reckons that the increase in the number of both predators and prey species is linked to a population that is not interfered with by abrupt and immense changes in the case of a drop in the density of one of either of the species (the prey or predator). MacArthur’s hypothesis supports that of Elton that states that various populations are hindered from undergoing explosive growth because of the major sophisticated communities that are built by a large number of predators and parasites. In explanation of MacArthur’s hypothesis, it is easy for the environment to experience dramatic changes due to the increase in a given population of a species. For instance, an increase in rabbits – as a herbivorous animal observed earlier, influences the decrease in vegetation and grass. Consequently, the environment becomes bare which contributes to dryness of the land causing reduction of food which on the other hand directly affects the food chain.
While the population of the species whether prey species or predator species may favor either organism through the provision of plenty of food, the land, on the other hand, faces the pressure of being in a position to accommodate the capacity of all the animals that have immensely increased in number due to food availability. MacArthur’s hypothesis for lack of variations and consistency was challenged by Robert May’s idea as explained by McCann (2000). According to May, the dynamics of a particular community were destabilizing due to the construction of models from random communities with identified strengths in interactions.
Redundancy of Species in an Ecosystem
The redundancy of species within an ecosystem is the concept that the extinction or loss of a particular species may have little or no impact on the environment; hence it may not affect the communities. As Habiba Gitay, Bartow Wilson and Willian Gee (1996), explain the concept is categorized into three. Firstly, a species is classified as redundant from its ecological functions, environmental effects and the effects it has on other species. Secondly, in the case of the existence of similar competitive species within the ecosystem and finally the use of the concept that implies that species with similar niche are equivalents in the ecosystem (NAEEM, 1998) . While every species matter within the ecosystem, it is observed that according to their functionalities in the community, the loss some species cannot interfere with the functionality of the ecosystem. If the functions of the species in question are insignificant, the chances of its survival are minimal ( Simental-Rodríguez, 2014) . Therefore, in such cases, the ecosystems may depend on the equivalents of the species in question which are more competitive and offer unique functions that positive impacts the ecosystem. Moreover, for stability in the ecosystem and the available species, the conservation of the ecosystem is focused on the species that have less capability to be redundant compared to those that are at a higher risk to be redundant (Kang et.al, 2015).
While the concept of redundancy may focus on the ability of a species to stay competitive, it also focuses and considers the ability of the species to be stable within the ecosystem even in the occurrences of disturbances. In simpler terms, the species that are not in a position to maintain stability and avoid redundancy are at a higher risk for priority in the conservation process. Habiba denotes that redundancy is an insurance that is placed against the loss of functionality within the ecosystem and mostly among species and hence the efforts of applying conservation should focus on the community that has minimal redundancy. In conclusion of the redundancy in species, many scholars agree on the fact that even with fewer species the ecosystem would still function well as required and expected. Besides, some denote that the loss of some particular species within a community may not affect the processes of the ecosystem considering their functions and effects to other species are not competitive and significant. To minimize the occurrences of redundancy among species, the species must compete as compared to their equivalents. Moreover, the species must be in a position to recover from the high priority of redundancy and risk for possible conservation.
Relationship between Genetic Diversity and Species Diversity
The variety of species directly affects other species within the environment and the establishment of the ecosystem. On the other hand, the variety of the genetics of a species influences the characterizations of the species within the ecosystem. Consequently, the relationship between the species diversity and the genetic diversity plays a significant role in the biodiversity and ecosystem. Cleary et.al (2006), affirms that the changes or disturbances in the environment influence the genetic makeup of a particular population which on the other hand impacts the characters of the species in various geographical places. For instance, some climate may favor a development of rich and well-established organisms in a particular location whereas; the same species may face adversity and deterioration of its richness in stature and capabilities due to a climate that is not conducive. The impact of environmental changes on the species plays a significant role in the mutations and makeup of other species being developed. For example, for vegetation to flourish and bud flowers or bear fruits different environmental aspects should play a role in ensuring that it develops fully. The availability of the sunshine, enough water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide ensures that the plant reaches its maximum and vegetation yields good fruits Vellend, M. (2005) .
In the case of a reduced amount of the environmental aspects, the plant declines to reach its full potential and be able to produce enough fruits or food for other species in the ecosystem. Moreover, while vegetation may still yield fruits under the lack one of the environmental aspects, its composition and genetic makeup cannot be compared to those that had all the environmental requirements. On the other hand, when the needed environmental aspects are in excess, the vegetation again fails to develop as expected and required due to overwhelming and destructions caused by the excess. The seeds of the underdeveloped species are therefore on the verge of failing to develop fully due to the lack of enough nutrients while growing. Reduced genetic makeup leads to an unfortunate development in various species which influences the ecosystem by decreasing other dependent species or species that rely on the availability of particular species for survival. On the other hand, the availability of productive genetically developed species contributes to the development of species with outstanding characteristics that may enable them to survive within the ecosystem even after a disturbance. For example, a rich genetic makeup in predators may influence their ability to detect danger and their sense of smell. Moreover, they may even be in a position to run faster than their prey.
Consequently, the prey may face challenging moments in finding and catching food because of the unusual characters possessed by the predators due to their genetic makeup. On the other hand, the lack of enough food for the prey may result in some consequences that include the decrease in the number of the prey due to death or migration to another environment.
As Randall Hughes et.al (2008) explains, the genetic diversity has impacted the evolution of the environment observed. Moreover, the first results highlighted this journal – ‘Ecological consequences of genetic diversity,’ includes the productivity of species and ability to recover from environmental challenges. Furthermore, other effects include the development of the structure of the community, fluxes of nutrients & energy and the ability for species to compete within the ecosystem to maintain stability and at the same time enhance survival.
Contrary to the production of inferior species due to the influence of environmental disturbances, the strength in the genetic diversity ensures that the produced species recover from the lack of richness and outstanding characteristics within the population. Through the recovery of the species with deteriorated genetic make, the ecosystem is also in a position to recover from the instability that was impacted by the disturbances and the population of the underdeveloped species. It is clear that the coexistence of the species within the ecosystem has a direct impact on the well-being and state of equilibrium within the community of the population in question. Hence, every flow of material from different species has a role to play within the ecosystem, and it is therefore important.
The functions of the ecosystem are directly affected by biodiversity that is profoundly impacted by the processes of the species diversity and genetic diversity. It is relevant for the roles of these aspects to ensure stability in the functions of the different organism within the ecosystem, hence each species despite their value, quantity or functionality matters within the community ( Srivastava, 2006) .
Conclusion
The ecosystem plays a significant role in the existence of humans among other living organism. Therefore every function of extant species is important and very critical in the stability of the ecosystem. The stability of the ecosystem is influenced by the relationship of different organisms, the genetic make-up of these organisms, and the variations of the species among other reasons. A decrease in the ecological stability may be due to a reduction in the species diversity or the genetic diversity which on the other hand affects the functionality and existence of other environmental organisms. As observed species redundancy is inevitable and it can be avoided through the ability of the species to spring back from the dangerous position that directly affects conservancy. The relationship between different species also necessitates the flourishing of the environment’s establishment and stability, a decrease in one species affects the quantity of another within the community hence interfering with the population of different species that solely depend on others for survival. Environmental disturbances have also had an impact in the coexistence of various species and their functionality making it possible for the ecosystem to maintain its stability that on the other hand favors every species and population in the community. For proper functioning of all populations of species within the ecosystem, stability is a must.
References
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