Disasters and isolation occurrences like tidepools provide this in nature. Living things provide this as parents for the young. The other major environment required is one which is constantly looking for new sources of growth, improvement, nourishment and increasing efficiency. A welcoming environment for the new to test and discover its fit into the environment is provided by opportunity with increasing threshold points for future growth. Failure to pass the threshold increases the energy required on the new and provided increasing threats to its survival.
Success provides a reduction in energy required to continue.