According to the 'rivet popper hypothesis,' what happens if too many rivets (species) are removed? |
The ecosystem becomes stronger The ecosystem becomes dangerously weak There is no effect on the ecosystem The ecosystem becomes more resilient |
The ecosystem becomes dangerously weak |
The correct answer is Option (2) - The ecosystem becomes dangerously weak The ‘rivet popper hypothesis’ is used by Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich. In an airplane (ecosystem) all parts are joined together using thousands of rivets (species). If every passenger travelling in it starts popping a rivet to take home (causing a species to become extinct), it may not affect flight safety (proper functioning of the ecosystem) initially, but as more and more rivets are removed, the plane becomes dangerously weak over a period of time. Furthermore, which rivet is removed may also be critical. Loss of rivets on the wings (key species that drive major ecosystem functions) is obviously a more serious threat to flight safety than loss of a few rivets on the seats or windows inside the plane. |