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

Explanation

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Introduction to the Hypothesis**: The rivet-popper hypothesis was proposed by ecologist Paul Ehrlich to illustrate the importance of biodiversity and species richness in ecosystems.

2. **Analogy of the Airplane**: Ehrlich compares an ecosystem to an airplane and each species within that ecosystem to rivets that hold the airplane together. Just as rivets are crucial for maintaining the structural integrity of an airplane, each species plays a vital role in the functioning of an ecosystem.

3. **Impact of Species Loss**: The hypothesis suggests that if passengers on the airplane (representing human activities) start removing rivets (species) one by one, initially, the airplane may still function properly. This reflects how ecosystems can sometimes tolerate the loss of certain species without immediate visible effects.

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