Rethinking biodiversity: how cooperation anchors ecosystem resilience

A pioneering mathematical model demonstrates that mutual cooperation, rather than strict competition, is a primary driver of biodiversity and resilience across all types of ecosystems. By expanding current ecological theory, this framework proves that cooperative interactions can give rise to stable communities of key species. This universal model offers a new blueprint for addressing global challenges, from designing climate-resilient plant communities to engineering stable human microbiomes to combat chronic diseases.

Reference:

Piñero J, Kolchinsky A, Redner S, Solé R (2025). Neutral theory of cooperative dynamics. PNAS, 122(0), e2515423122. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2515423122