Why is biodiversity ESSENTIAL for the long-term survival of life on Earth?
ADiversity slows reproduction
BVariety is purely aesthetic
CBiodiversity has no practical benefit
DA diverse ecosystem is more resilient — different species fill different niches, regulate climate, recycle nutrients, and provide redundancy against shocks; the loss of one species is less catastrophic when many others can fulfil similar roles
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. A diverse ecosystem is more resilient — different species fill different niches, regulate climate, recycle nutrients, and provide redundancy against shocks; the loss of one species is less catastrophic when many others can fulfil similar roles
Biodiversity = ecological insurance. Diverse ecosystems have many species with overlapping functions (pollinators, decomposers, predators, prey), so they are robust against single-species loss. Genetic diversity within species lets populations adapt to changing conditions (disease, climate). Monocultures (low biodiversity) collapse easily — as the Irish Potato Famine and modern crop disease outbreaks have shown.
Related questions
The Pakke Tiger Reserve has recorded about how many bird species?The Purple Frog's species name honours the:Protista are mostly unicellular organisms that have a:A lichen pairs a heterotrophic fungus with an autotrophic:Which is NOT one of the five plant classes?Kingdom Plantae is divided into how many classes?Kingdom Animalia is split into chordata and:Which kingdom was added third, for unicellular microscopic life?