Ecosystems and their components
An ecosystem describes a specific area where the organisms
work together as a unit. It could be any size from a tiny pool of water to
hundreds of square miles of desert.
A biome is way to
describe a large group of similar ecosystems. Biomes have similar weather,
rainfall, animals, and plants.
ECOSYSTEM IS
BALANCE AMONG SPECIES
Ecosystems maintain important balances in order that all the
organisms within the ecosystem can survive. These balances involve food, water,
oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. The sun provides the energy needed by ecosystems.
Plants take this energy and use photosynthesis to create sugar which they can
use for energy. Nutrients in the soil, the air, and water also play a part in
keeping an ecosystem thriving and in balance.
Humans have affected many ecosystems and biomes throughout the world. Cutting
down trees, developing land, growing crops, burning fossil fuels, overfishing,
and overhunting are just some of the ways that we have affected the balance of
nature.
LAND BIOMES
MARINE BIOMES
There are two major aquatic or water biomes, the marine
biome and the freshwater biome. The marine biome is primarily made up of the
saltwater oceans. It is the largest biome on planet Earth and covers around 70%
of the Earth's surface.
FRESHWATER BIOMES
The freshwater biome is defined as having a low salt
content versus the marine biome which is saltwater like the ocean.
There are three main types of freshwater biomes: ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and wetlands.
There are three main types of freshwater biomes: ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and wetlands.
HABITAT/POPULATION/COMMUNITY
Animals and plants have features that allow them to adapt to
their environment. The organisms in a community compete with each other for
limited resources, including water and space. Plants also compete with each
other for light and minerals.
For example, a pond ecosystem consists of a pond habitat,
inhabited by aquatic plants, waterside plants, micro-organisms, and
herons. The organisms together make up a community of living things.
COMPETITION
Habitats have limited amounts of the
resources needed by living organisms. Organisms can only survive if they can
get enough resources. They must compete with other organisms for these
resources. If they are unsuccessful and cannot move to another habitat, they
will die.
Animals
Some of the resources that animals compete for:
Animals
Some of the resources that animals compete for:
- food
- water
- space
Animals may also compete for mates so
that they can reproduce.
Plants
Remember that plants make their own food
using photosynthesis, so
they do not compete for food. Some of the things that plants do compete for
are:
- light
- water
- space
