Ecosystem

Ecosystem basically refers to both living and non-living community organisms and the manner in which they interact with their environment. In this interaction, there is an eminent energy transfer between the organisms and their environment leading to the emergence of system-level processes similar to the cycle of element. Ecosystem, therefore, refers to the manner in which various elements are interrelated. The environmental set-up basically defines the type and composition of an ecosystem. As a result, we have different ecosystems on planet Earth depending on the composition and interrelationship between different organisms and their surrounding natural components.

Ecosystems differ with respect to fauna, flora as well as weather patterns. However, all ecosystems support some sort of life. In venturing any ecosystem, it is therefore important to understand its features before attempting to make changes in it. Indeed, acute lack of this understanding in the ancient periods led to the extinction of natural habitats among other natural endowments. Indeed, each ecosystem has its respective transformation cycle of matter and energy running through it. However, the influence of human beings disrupts these transformation cycles at the same time constraining the natural flow of things within an ecosystem. The impact of the latter is a major problem due to detached links between cycles tainting the system’s stability. In order to prevent the disruption of natural flow and state of the ecosystem, knowledge of the specific type of ecosystem is therefore paramount.

Basically, there are two broad categories of ecosystems, namely: terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, the two categories can be further divided into smaller ones. Terrestrial ecosystem is located on the dry land while its aquatic counterpart is based on water environment. Furthermore, the terrestrial ecosystems entail a number of smaller categories, namely: forests, grasslands, deserts, and mountain ecosystems all defined by their natural surroundings. On the other hand, aquatic ecosystems are made up of marine and freshwater ecosystems also defined by the natural state of water surrounding environments.

Under the same criteria of natural characteristics of the surrounding and the organisms supported, marine ecosystems can further be divided into intertidal zones, coral reefs, salt marshes, profundal zones, and oceanic ecosystems depending on the natural features of the surrounding. In this regard, ecosystems differ across the different episodes on planet Earth due to differences in the natural endowment related to soil, vegetation, and the overall climate conditions of a region.

This entry was provided by Cody Harper who works at the source where everyone can find shakespeare essay


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