The Role of Biodiversity in Ecosystem Resilience

Abstract

In the context of global environmental change ecosystem resilience becomes critical for long term survival of species and consistent delivery of ecosystem services. Concerns however exist on whether managing ecosystems for resilience would actually support biodiversity conservation. Current focus of empirical studies on species richness as the main measure of biodiversity may result in underestimation of the link between biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. A closer look at different levels of biodiversity, namely interspecific, intraspecific and ecosystem diversity allow better understanding of how biodiversity underpins resilience. Thus, a holistic approach to biodiversity research and management is needed to maintain ecosystem resilience in the context of global environmental change. All three level of biodiversity need to be considered. Landscape Approach is likely to be the most effective strategy in conservation, because preserving biodiversity at a landscape level is likely to simultaneously ensure metapopulation genetic diversity, secure high functional redundancy and response diversity, and preserve ecological memory, which ultimately ensure ecosystem resilience and consistent flow of ecosystem services.