How to Create Ecological
Landscape Designs

 

Diversity refers to the number of different species that co-exist within a given area. Through competition of resources, species form niches. With an increased number of organisms and niches, energy that enters the ecosystem takes longer before it is diffused out of the system.

High diversity in a stable area also creates an environmental buffer to disturbance. When disturbances occur, there are ample banks of replacement organisms to begin recolonizing.

When an ecosystem is degraded and the diversity is diminished, energy cannot flow through the complex web of connections. It flows in a much more linear fashion and makes fewer links or associations with other organisms. With the energy flowing out of the system, it is not able to support varying layers of complexity and could fail.

Diversity should be considered when designing. Populations and communities should be associated and local genotypes should be selected.