Components of an ecosystem
We must insist that human life develops in close relationship with nature and that its functioning affects us completely. It is a mistake to consider that our technological advances: cars, big houses, industry, etc. allow us to live apart from the rest of the biosphere and the study of ecosystems, their structure and functioning, shows us the depth of these relationships.
The ecosystem is the functional biological unit that encompasses the organisms of a given area (biocenosis) and the corresponding physical environment (biotope). Therefore, the ecosystem is the conjunction of the biocenosis (biotic element of the ecosystem) and the biotope (abiotic element). It is therefore the highest level of organization of living beings.
The term was proposed in 1935 by the English ecologist A. G. Tansley and is the basic functional unit in ecology, comprising the biotic communities and the abiotic environment of a given region, each of which influences the properties of the other.
How an ecosystem for children works
So, we can say that ecosystems are a natural system formed by two main elements; A set of living beings (It is called biocenosis) and a physical place, where they live and relate (It is called biotope).
As the Earth is very large and with different characteristics, we have to begin to differentiate regions and if man has acted in these geographical areas. Environmental scholars highlight these main types of ecosystems that exist on Earth:
Remember that biotic factors are classified by what is called Trophic Levels which are three; Producers, consumers and decomposers, whose graphic representation is by the trophic or ecological pyramid to visualize the transfer of energy and food relationships. You can see more from:
It takes into account the complex interactions between coexisting organisms (plants, algae, animals, bacteria, fungi and others) that make up the community (Remember the concept of biocenosis) and energy flows;
How an ecosystem works pdf
Ecosystems contain two types of components: the abiotic, which are the non-living elements within it such as air, soil, climate, water and so on. Then there are the biotics, which are the living elements within the ecosystem, such as plants and animals.
Plants are consumed by herbivores and these by carnivores, which constitutes a food chain that creates in greater proportion a “web of life”, all of this is initiated by the energy received from the sun and is necessary for the life of the ecosystem and for the life of man.
By definition, an ecosystem is a basic unit of the field of study from a scientific perspective of nature. It is an environment that is physically defined and is composed of two inseparable elements: the biotope and the biocenosis.
In addition to having a high salt content, these ecosystems cover 70% of the earth’s surface. Examples of marine ecosystems are the surface of the seas, the seabed, the pelagic oceans and the deep sea.
The 4 ecosystem functions
Ecosystem functioning refers to the fact that ecosystems need to maintain adequate proportions between species, resources and others in order to function and maintain themselves properly. Some think that under natural conditions all the inhabitants of a given ecosystem are perfectly adapted to it.[1] Some think.
“Perhaps bats, figs, horses, and humans have never been so close together. Part of the answer is that humans have destroyed eucalyptus forests, and altered the feeding and nesting habits of some flying foxes, which has forced them to fly to shady suburbs, planters, botanical gardens, and parks. This ultimately brought them closer to people.”
In ecosystems, competition is the struggle that occurs between individuals to get the resources they need to survive. Since the resource is limited and is used by the two species, they must compete with each other to get it. In the long run, one individual always benefits and the other is harmed. These are the types of competition: