Comments Diversity in and of itself may not be relevant. Rather, it is the connections between them and how they are made. Links that harness or channel a lot of energy may be more important links than others. In some food webs, the removal of one link has no effect. The removal of others changes the entire dynamic.
Diversity means there are a lot of jobs available and a certain degree of complimentarity.
Imagine two ponds with equal numbers of species in both. In one pond, abundances are maintained at equal levels for all species. In the other pond, abundances sort themselves out without interference. Allen, T.F.H. and T.W. Hoekstra. Toward a Unified Ecology.