Question

Explain Paul Ehrlich analogy.

Answer 1

Paul Ehrlich compared an ecosystem to an aeroplane and its species to the rivets holding the plane together. Removing a few rivets may not immediately affect the plane, just as the loss of a few species may not immediately appear to disrupt an ecosystem. But as more rivets are removed, the plane becomes dangerously weakened; likewise, continued species loss makes an ecosystem unstable. The loss of a critical rivet like the loss of a key species can be especially serious, just as removing a rivet from a wing may threaten the whole plane.