The planet earth is a huge structure and we can see through the characteristics of an ecosystem that it is made up of many cycles, habitats, species and organisms that work together to preserve it.
Characteristics of an Ecosystem
When we speak of an ecosystem, we refer to an organized structure made up of various forms of life and inorganic elements that coexist in the same space and through which they relate to each other in different ways to contribute to the preservation of life on the planet.
There are many branches of study that can be associated with ecosystems and their characteristics , as they encompass many meanings regarding the relationship of species and the physical space in which they coexist; however, the branch of science that is most closely associated is the study of ecology.
For these systems to work in their entirety, different elements are needed to ensure the preservation of the space with all its organisms and components that make it up. All ecosystems, although they have similarities with each other, also have very different characteristics.
Ecosystems can have many different dimensions and species, there are highly composed ecosystems but few species and physical spaces, as well as some formed by several ecosystems in one and some that need others to function.
The characteristics that define an ecosystem are the following;
- Dynamic: It is when its entire structure is in active circulation.
- Variable: Depending on the seasons of the year, the system will always be in constant change.
- Complex: It is composed of multiple components.
- multifunctional: When by involving different components and elements of the system itself, various activities can be performed.
- inclusive: All beings can exist in the same habitat without disturbing the space of the other, but rather helping the same coexistence.
Types of ecosystems
As for its classification, there are several ways by which an ecosystem can be typified, just as these branches can be divided in such a way that the generalities of all systems can be separated.
In this way, a more specific concept can be given based on all the differences that exist between the different ecosystems, whether due to their climate, geographical location, their properties and the species that compose them.
The main thing that must be taken into account to classify an ecosystem is the basic environment in which it develops, if it is on the ground the ecosystem can be classified as terrestrial, when it is in the water it will be aquatic. However, there are also some cases in which these two biomes come together and in that case it is considered a mixed ecosystem.
Terrestrial ecosystems
The different biomes that develop on the soil or subsoil can be divided depending on the different characteristics they have, whether due to the types of climate or the soil, the vegetation and all the organisms that make it up.
Deserts
Lacking an abundant flora and fauna thanks to the lack of precipitation and high temperatures, these are conditions that force the few plant species to adapt in order to withstand the conditions. They are usually sparsely inhabited places, there are also deserts with very low temperatures.
Mountains
Formed by huge reliefs that store a large part of the planet's fresh water. They have abundant animal and plant life, mostly in their lower part while the peaks are not usually very inhabited.
forests
They are the ecosystems that cover the largest soil space on the earth's surface, full of fauna and flora with very humid climates and temperatures that range between hot and cold, it is the habitat of an enormous variety of animals of many species.
Due to its varied biodiversity, there are many types of forest ecosystems, among the most characteristic are jungles, leafy forests, dry forests, temperate forests and taiga. It is also known for being a complex and structured ecosystem with many constantly moving interactions and cycles.
Sheets
They are huge hectares full of meadows and few small trees, just like in the desert, temperatures are high and the flora is in a position to adapt to resist dry seasons, however, there are also rainy seasons.
We stopped
Also known as tundras, they have many similarities to savannahs except that these biomes are mostly cold and very humid, take place on steep mountains with snow formations at their peaks, and reach as far as arid forests.
These biomes are of great importance for the well-known hydrological cycle, in which the ice that forms on mountain peaks undergoes a melting process and becomes water that flows into rivers and seas. Due to the climate, there are few animal species in this environment and, as in some deserts or savannahs, the plants adapt to resist the climate and be able to feed on the poorly fertile soils.
Grasslands
They are meadows full of grass with a temperate and warm climate, they have very fertile soils and full of nutrients, being places where planting and agriculture are best done. The weather is warm most of the time, but it also has cold seasons.
Mangroves
They are tropical-style biomes located on the coasts, they are the main base of mouths, this crucial point in the water of some river is deposited in other rivers, some seas or oceans. It is a refuge for many animals and plants, its flora has an important particularity that makes it resistant to changes in salt water.
Vision
Mainly these spaces began to form being essential for the survival of the human being, starting from the origins in which the primitive man was evolving and by means of architectural structures he was able to obtain refuge in the different biomes.
Throughout history, man has been disadvantaged many times by constant climate change, extreme temperatures and other factors, however over time the reason for the creation of these structures has become vain and selfish reasons. , often harming the natural balance throughout the process.
Aquatic Ecosystems
On the other hand, aquatic ecosystems can also be classified depending on the type of water they are in, being salt water, such as seas and oceans , or fresh water, with rivers and lakes.
Saltwater
It is the most abundant type of ecosystem, since it covers all the seas and oceans, which correspond to around 71% of the entire earth's surface. The variety in habitats and species will depend on the depth and temperature of the water.
It corresponds to most of the earth, its expansion is enormous, even though only a small part has been explored by humanity, the extensions that are a few meters below sea level are tiny and trivial compared to the enormous amplitude representing the deep sea and all its species.
Sweet water
Most are lakes and rivers, these ecosystems are also classified depending on whether the water is moving or still. The temperatures will be varied, depending on the location of the biome and its entire path.
All mammals and a large part of plants need fresh water to live, however, only 3% of the water on the entire planet is fresh and part of this percentage is in danger due to the contamination of many main sources of fresh water.
The animals that inhabit these spaces are mostly small in size and less in number, compared to saltwater ecosystems.
Reefs
They are mounds formed of hard substances, which are found a few meters below sea level, in most cases it is a combination of rocks and living organisms, such as corals. The vegetation is composed mainly of different species of algae and the fauna is mostly fish and corals of many kinds.
Elements of an Ecosystem
The main elements of an ecosystem are the species that make it up, which in more compound terms are called biotic factors and the conditions of the habitat in which they coexist, also known as abiotic factors, to this is added the fact that both factors interact and are related to each other.
Biotic factors
It refers to all the species that have or at some point had life, ranging from the most abundant vegetation and the largest animals, to the smallest bacteria and fungi.
Abiotic Factors
These are all the elements that are part of the ecosystem but do not have life, ranging from the type of soil, climate and latitude, to temperature and humidity , water, air and sun.
Interactions of an Ecosystem
All organisms and non-living elements that make up an ecosystem are in constant interaction with each other and the relationships they maintain are very different.
These relationships can be intraspecific, which is when the individuals that are related belong to the same species or interspecific; It is when two or more individuals belonging to different species are related.
When biological species interact with each other, the effects can be positive or negative for all or one of the parties, and can also be neutral for all parties involved.
The main interactions that life has within an ecosystem are the following:
- Competition: It exists when one or more individuals compete with each other for obtaining a necessary resource or for supremacy.
- predation: It is when the individual hunts a different species for food and its own group.
- Mutualism: In this interaction individuals from different groups favor each other by providing material necessary for the survival of the other.
- Commensalism: Occurs when in the interaction of two different species, one of them is favored but the other party is not affected in any way.
- Protocooperation: It is based on a relationship of different species in which all parties are benefited, but the interaction is not vital for the existence of any.
- Symbiosis: When through a relationship between different species, all parties are benefited and mutual agreement is of vital importance for the existence of all parties.
- Parasitism: When in the interaction, one of the parties is benefited and its existence depends on the other individual, in many cases the relationship becomes detrimental to this other party.
- allelopathy: Composed of a type of organisms in which, through chemical processes, one or several parties may benefit or may be detrimental to any of them.
Cycles of Matter
Biogeochemical cycles are (as their name suggests) chemical and biological processes in which nutrients from the earth are recycled, which are vital for the permanence of living beings on the planet.
In these processes, matter moves between living beings and the environment, repeating the process and passing from one to the other continuously, these are important because the earth's resources are not interchangeable and are not found in any other known space, for Therefore, they must be recycled for continued use.
Energy flow
The energy that we usually use comes mainly from the sun, it goes through several processes in which it serves as basic energy for some organisms and these in turn produce energy and nutrients for others.
This flow works like a chain in which the nutrients flow and pass through different individuals who use and transform it, thanks to this process it is possible to feed many species and organisms to finally become a non-reusable type of energy.
Alteration of Ecosystems
Ecosystems protect and care for the enormous biodiversity of species that exist on our planet, from the highest mountains to the depths of the oceans; the entire planet is made up of hundreds of very different ecosystems composed of thousands of unique organisms.
However, there are many alterations and variables that can affect the stability of all these ecosystems, many are caused by natural phenomena, while others are produced by man.
Natural alterations
There are many phenomena that occur naturally and that can negatively affect an entire biome, however, these alterations are part of the natural cycle of life, and over time these ecosystems return to their natural state by themselves. or evolve positively.
Some of these phenomena include: earthquakes, landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions, the El Niño and La Niña phenomena , and many others besides these.
Human alterations
On the other hand, the alterations produced at the hands of man are very risky and have serious consequences for the habitat itself and all its organisms, even leading to the extinction of entire species and altering the natural chemical composition of soils and water.
These consequences are not only presented by the enormous amount of waste produced by humans, but also by the overexploitation to which the planet has been formed, since the human population depends on the benefits that the planet gives us.
But this need has been taken to the extreme by global overpopulation, seeing humans in search of all the minerals and nutrients that nature offers in order to prolong human life on earth, but the preservation of the planet itself is harmed.
Based on this, it can be seen that despite the earth being a huge and very complex ecosystem, man takes care of his own benefit in such a selfish way, regardless of whether the existence of his own environment is in danger.
Ecosystems around the world
As mentioned above, the planet earth is a huge and complex system made up of other smaller systems, all very different and spread around the world.
The Black Forest (Europe)
Located in Germany, it is a huge mountain range full of forests and lakes, a very touristic site where visitors can carry out various recreational activities, especially at Christmas. Considered a historical relic, named for the dark color of the spruce leaves, and outside of what the name can give despite, it is a biome with many open and clear spaces.
Nile River (Africa)
It is of great historical value for the growth of the Egyptian civilization, it crosses 10 countries to flow into the Mediterranean Sea. Being home to a huge number of species, mostly mammals and a limited number of plants.
Amazon (America)
Considered the lung of the world, it is the largest forest on the earth's surface and is the habitat of at least 18.000 different animal species and the cradle of more than 6.300 families of trees and flowers, of which 50% are exotic.
Antarctic Desert (Antarctica)
It is the largest desert in the world and the coldest too, the rocky soil is mostly covered by ice and its coarsest species are some bacteria and microorganisms, however, where animal life develops the most is on the coasts.
The Great Barrier Reef (Oceania)
With an area of 349.000 km² , the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living structure, formed by countless species of coral. Its vast size makes it home to millions of marine species, ranging from whales to mollusks and thousands of fish families.
Matterhorn (Europe)
It is a large mountain range in the Alps located between Italy and Switzerland, much of it is covered in snow. At its base are extensive meadows with many colorful flowers and plants and home to thousands of animals, mostly wild.
Uluru (Oceania)
It is a huge block of one piece made of rock, located in the desert in northern Australia, named a World Heritage Site. It is part of the Australian National Park where several hundred meters away is another huge rock formation, this time divided into 36 blocks of different sizes. Considered a holy place for the aborigines of the region who guard it.
Niagara Falls (America)
A set of waterfalls with an extension of 945 meters, located between Canada and the United States, an important tourist point for these two nations that have been equipped on both sides of the falls, so that they are highly visited and different activities can be carried out at throughout the day, from hotels and casinos to boat trips.
