The ecology of sustainability (so much for niches)
According to Scott Smith of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (source: NY Times), traditional habitats feature “niches” which result in saturation of species, as well as extinctions and relationship disruption when new species migrate into it.
The Panama Canal habitat instead features a “neutral” community model where, because local species are not so precisely situated into niches, new species can find a home, and instead of new species invasions causing extinctions, the migration of new species actually add to the community’s richness and sustainability.
