Final answer:
An increase in biodiversity enhances ecosystem productivity and stability, protecting against environmental changes. However, increasing human population is often associated with reduced biodiversity due to habitat loss, pollution, and climate upheaval. Efforts in conservation and sustainable management are vital for mitigating biodiversity loss.
Step-by-step explanation:
An increase in biodiversity generally causes a change to ecosystem stability. Specifically, greater biodiversity typically leads to increased ecosystem productivity and stability, meaning that ecosystems are better able to withstand environmental changes and are less likely to experience large fluctuations in productivity. This resilience is particularly important in the face of disturbances such as pollution, climate change, and species introductions.
In contrast, an increase in human population has been linked to a decrease in biodiversity due to factors like habitat loss, increased pollution, and climate change. High rates of extinction, especially in biodiversity-rich locations like tropical rainforests, not only reduce the number of species but also have significant impacts on human welfare and the stability of ecosystems. Moreover, although the rate of human population growth is a contributing factor, humans also play a crucial role in conservation and the sustainable management of resources to mitigate biodiversity loss.