Question

If high tree diversity increases soil stocks of nitrogen and organic carbon, how would you expect to plant multiple tree species to affect the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle? Can biodiversity be considered an ecosystem service? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Carbon as CO2 (carbon dioxide) added by animals or human activity. These Carbon form (CO2) is absorbed by trees through photosynthesis and put back into the ecosystem, this form the cycle of absorption from atmosphere and addition of CO2 into atmosphere.

Similarly , even though atmosphere has high percentage of nitrogen. But they are not usable for us. Few plants have nitrogen fixation bacteria, which take nitrogen and convert into usable form - from atmosphere and bring back into the soil or ecosystem. These are again put back to atmosphere by decomposition or burning. Thus completing nitrogen cycle.

By planting multiple tree species , we can bring balance in ecosystem. This will help in keeping balance between percentage of required carbon and nitrogen in ecosystem stable or as required.

This is what biodiversity do for us. It helps in maintaining balance between all the required components of ecosystem. whether it is carbon, oxygen, nitrogen or other micro elements. Biodiversity is the best way to have an healthy ecosystem. Greater the diversity , our ecosystem will be more sustainable. It also recover fast from any deviation form the balance of those elements (carbon or nitrogen).

This implies biodiversity should be considered an ecosystem service.