Question

Explain briefly the 'rivet popper hypothesis' of Paul Ehrlich.

Answer 1

The 'rivet popper hypothesis' of Paul Ehrlich

The 'rivet popper hypothesis' of Paul Ehrlich is an analogy where the ecosystem is compared to an airplane and species are compared with the rivets. In an aeroplane (ecosystem) various parts (components of an ecosystem) are joined together by thousands of rivets (species).

Removal of rivets from the airplane

If every passenger travelling in it starts pulling out a rivet to take home, it may not affect the safety of the flight initially. Hence, loss or extinction of a few species from the ecosystem initially will not create any threat to the existing species.

Removal of rivets from crucial parts

But as more and more rivets are removed, the plane becomes dangerously weak over a period of time. Removal of rivets of a crucial part like wings (equivalent to keystone species) will pose a serious threat to the safety of flight.

This means that the extinction of key species (rivets on the wings), which are performing a major function in that ecosystem, will become a threat to the safety of other species (flight safety compromised).

Example

For example, removing a predator like lions from an ecosystem will result in the increase in the number of the prey species (deer, rabbits). This will result in the competition between them (for the same food) and finally they will starve to death.