It is becoming apparent that all ways of thinking about ecosystems are helpful in developing an ecosystem approach. No one way is sufficient. All the subsystems are connected and any of them may affect the others. Some of these systems exist over large areas and for considerable periods of time. The ecosystem' s ability to use incoming energy increases with the complexity of its food webs.
Biodiversity contributes to ecosystem complexity.
In using incoming energy, an ecosystem may change. Such changesmight include new life forms, thus enhancing biodiversity. The ability of an ecosystem to manage incoming energy and other external forces that threaten its integrity is referred to as its capacity for selforganization. It is this feature of ecosystems that scientists now believe is particularly crucial for ecosystem sustainability. An ecosystem may adapt to stress in several ways.