What inherent vulnerability does high specialization introduce into an ecosystem?
Answer
It makes the ecosystem inherently more fragile to perturbation.
Ecosystems heavily structured by tight, specialized coevolutionary bonds are vulnerable because the elimination of one obligate partner can cause the rapid decline or extinction of the other.
Related Questions
What precisely defines coevolution?Who is credited with formally recognizing and naming the concept of coevolution?What is required to scientifically identify the process of coevolution?What are the two broad categories into which coevolutionary interactions generally fall?Which type of interaction involves one participant gaining a fitness advantage at the expense of the other?What defines a mutualistic relationship in the context of coevolution?What concept describes the most dramatic escalation seen in antagonistic coevolution?What real-world example illustrates an escalating evolutionary arms race involving toxins?What textbook case demonstrates profound specialization resulting from mutualistic coevolution involving reproduction?What inherent vulnerability does high specialization introduce into an ecosystem?What is the primary scientific technique used to identify a signal of coevolution across different locales?