I wouldn't say there aren't stable configurations. These systems tend to bounce between strange attractors (which are stable with variance), and the set of pos

I wouldn't say there aren't stable configurations. These systems tend to bounce between strange attractors (which are stable with variance), and the set of possible strange attractors is also probably stable given the life forms that are interacting. Of course, on geological time scales massive events can disrupt the set of possible strange attractors, but then nothing is stable or permanent as you go out in time scope so I'm not sure that matters.