What is a critical impact of species extinction on ecosystems?

Species extinction has a profound impact on ecosystems, one of the most significant being its threat to the stability of food webs. Food webs are complex networks that illustrate how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem, connecting various species in predator-prey relationships. When a species goes extinct, particularly if it is a keystone species or a primary producer, the balance of the entire ecosystem can be disrupted.

For instance, if a predator species is lost, herbivore populations may increase unchecked, potentially leading to overgrazing or overbrowsing, which can devastate plant communities and alter habitat structure. This destabilization can have cascading effects throughout the food web, threatening the survival of other species and leading to further extinctions. Therefore, the extinction of species fundamentally undermines the interconnected relationships that support ecosystem health and resilience, making this impact critical in understanding ecological dynamics.