Diversity of a system affects resilience
The degree of variation in a system is directly correlated to its ability to absorb shocks to the system. Increased diversity provides increased flexibility. Increased efficiency leads to a reduction in diversity. Thus, increased efficiency results in decreased diversity which decreases flexibility and, thus, resistance to shocks.
The more variations available to respond to a shock, the greater the ability to absorb the shock. Diversity—variety in the number of species, people, and institutions that exist in a social-ecological system—relates to flexibility and keeping your options open. A lack of diversity limits options and reduces your capacity to respond to disturbances. Increasing efficiency (optimization) inevitably leads to a reduction in diversity.[1]
See also:
- General resilience depends on diversity, modularity, and feedbacks
- Modularity of a system affects resilience
- Tightness of feedback loops affects a system’s resilience
- Increasing efficiency tends to lock up a system
- Efficiency is purchased by a loss in flexibility
Ibid. ↩︎