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In ecology, functional equivalence (or functional redundancy) is the ecological phenomenon that multiple species representing a variety of taxonomic groups can share similar, if not identical, roles in ecosystem functionality (e.g., nitrogen fixers, algae scrapers, scavengers). [1] This phenomenon can apply to both plant and animal taxa.
Functional redundancy refers to the phenomenon that species in the same ecosystem fill similar roles, which results in a sort of "insurance" in the ecosystem. Redundant species can easily do the job of a similar species from the same functional niche. [13] This is possible because similar species have adapted to fill the same niche overtime.
The optimal paths for the fastest can be found using the Wencell-Freidlin functional in the Large-deviation theory. These paths correspond to the short-time asymptotics of the diffusion equation from a source to a target. In general, the exact solution is hard to find, especially for a space containing various distribution of obstacles.
Work on model systems has demonstrated that motile and macroscopic marine holobionts can act as dissemination vectors for geographically restricted microbial taxa. Pelagic mollusks or vertebrates are textbook examples of high dispersal capacity organisms (e.g., against currents and through stratified water layers ).
The species of rare biosphere can offer the gene pool that can be activated under changing conditions, thus keeping the ecosystem functional. [4] Members of the rare biosphere have been recognised as important drivers of many key ecosystem functions, for example providing bioavailable nitrogen in marine and soil environment.
In this case, the redundant part of the gene remains in the genome due to the proximity to the area that codes for the unique function. [17] The reason redundant genes remain in the genome is an ongoing question and gene redundancy is being studied by researchers everywhere. There are many hypotheses in addition to the backup and piggyback models.
Relatively high diversity levels are still observed despite the use of enrichment steps when working from environmental samples, [18] likely due to the high functional redundancy observed in environmental microbial communities, being a key asset of their functional stability.
Examples of degeneracy are found in the genetic code, when many different nucleotide sequences encode the same polypeptide; in protein folding, when different polypeptides fold to be structurally and functionally equivalent; in protein functions, when overlapping binding functions and similar catalytic specificities are observed; in metabolism, when multiple, parallel biosynthetic and ...