A popular belief
Many environmental programs talk about protecting ecological balance and biodiversity. And many people believe these things are always good for animals. The author shows it's not that simple.
What ecological balance is
Stability doesn't mean well-being. A situation can be stable and, at the same time, full of suffering.
Why balance isn't the same as well-being
Most animal species have enormous numbers of babies: hundreds, thousands, or even millions of young. In a stable population, on average, only about two young per mother survive to replace the parents. All the others die soon after they're born, from hunger, cold, disease, or being eaten.
In other words: an ecosystem "in balance" can be a place where almost every animal is born only to die young, suffering.
Would it be worse without balance?
Someone could say: "If there were no balance, the suffering would be even greater." Sometimes, that might be true. But it isn't guaranteed. The point is: balance and biodiversity only sometimes line up with what's best for animals. Often, they lead to very bad situations for them.
In short
- Ecological balance is stability, not well-being.
- In nature, most young animals are born and die soon after.
- Biodiversity and balance only sometimes line up with what's good for animals.