Passage I: Consequences of biodiversity loss (Part III)
c. Species interactions: Species interactions are perhaps the most important aspect of ecosystem functioning. Species are not just “there,” they are interacting at some level with all the other organisms in the system, forming highly complex interlocking systems. They compete, they parasitize, they cooperate, they prey, they provide food or shelter. In these interactions they also modify the nonbiological aspects of the ecosystem: the availability of nutrients, energy sources (such as sunlight), water, nitrogen (nitrogen-fixing organisms) and the like.