Foundational Species: The System Dies Without These
“Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.” ― Isaac Asimov
MENTAL MODEL
Foundational species are those that play a pillar role in a given community or system. They can occupy any level in a food web. Broadly speaking, they can be any part of a system. They play a vital role in structuring a community. Think corals, kelps, mussels, oysters, seagrasses, and mangroves. They facilitate organisms by attenuating currents and waves, providing structure for shelter, and concentrating nutrients. Trees in a forest, shrubs and grasses in savannas, foundational species play a major role in structuring the habitat.
There is a niche for every animal. Different climates, topography, weather, and temperature shape what traits an animal needs to survive and thrive. Every region thus consists of unique species. Other organisms structure their lives around foundational species. They transform inhospitable landscapes into productive land. Take giant kelp. Many marine species would suffer: they wouldn’t be able to hide from predators or hunt for fish if not for these monstrous plants of the sea. Or beavers. The unique habit they have of changing the shapes of rivers and streams by building dams helps some species migrate, whilst grazing herbivores get water sources. Even elephants. They knock over trees and consume lots of plant matter. Since they travel in big herds, the changes on any given area by their passing are dramatic and lasting.
The core idea is that foundational species provide essential services that support many other species. You can apply this metaphor to assess any critical element without which a system, organization, or community would not function effectively. Their removal triggers cascading effects, sometimes even the collapse of an entire ecosystem. They modify their environment in ways that create niches for other organisms, acting as ecosystem engineers. Beyond ecology, this could refer to key processes, technologies, or individuals with indispensable roles. In a business, a software platform that supports all its operations is analogous to a foundational species.
Real-world instances of foundational species:
Kelp Forests: kelp forms dense underwater forests that serve as a habitat for fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals. The health of the entire ecosystem is tied to the vitality of kelp. When kelp forests decline due to waring oceans, the dependent species suffer. Biodiversity plummets.
Coral Reefs: corals build the reef structure that supports an array of marine life. Damage to reefs (e.g. bleaching, overfishing, pollution) can result in a collapse of the reef ecosystem. This affects fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection.
Oak Trees: in temperate forests, oak trees serve as a foundational species. They produce acorns, which is food. They act as a form of shelter, supporting diverse wildlife. They even shape the forest microclimate. Removing oak trees disrupts nutrient cycles, reduces habitat diversity, and alters the composition of the forest ecosystem.
Foundational Technology: a company’s core IT platform that integrates departments — sales, design, marketing, finance, operations — is kindred to foundational species. Disrupting this core system can result in widespread operational issues.
Key Individuals: in a small startup, the founder, key leader, or a particular specialist can be a foundational species. Their vision and decisions underpin the company’s operations. While this can drive rapid growth, over-dependence on one person makes the business vulnerable. If they leave or become incapacitated, the company dies.
How you might use foundational species as a mental model: (1) map the system — list the components of your process or organization and ask, “Which parts, if removed, would cause the system to collapse or fundamentally change? Why?”; (2) protect the base — once the foundational elements are identified, focus on maintaining and strengthening them (e.g. by investing in key software or talent in an organization); (3) plan B through Z — develop alternative pathways if foundational elements fail, such as by ensuring that knowledge and responsibilities don’t hinge on one person in a business; (4) try to break it — assess how changes in foundational elements impact the system by stress testing it (e.g. by going on vacation as a business founder to see if the company can run without you, as advocated by Tim Ferriss).