Final answer:
Greater species richness enhances ecosystem stability, as it increases biodiversity, optimizes resource use, and ensures the ecosystem can better withstand environmental changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research has indicated that greater species richness, which is a measure of the number of different species present within an ecosystem, contributes to ecosystem stability. This stability is the result of various effects, such as the sampling-competition effect, where a more diverse set of species increases the chances of having species that are particularly productive in varying environmental conditions. Additionally, different species contribute to complementary resource use, optimizing the utilization of ecological niches. Consequently, ecosystems with higher biodiversity can maintain functionality even under stress, such as environmental perturbations or climate variations. This ecological concept is supported by both greenhouse and field experiments demonstrating that ecosystems with greater biodiversity show less fluctuation in productivity and are better at resisting disturbances.