An ecosystem is the set of living beings that, within a given area, relate and interact with each other and their physical environment. Depending on the characteristics of each particular ecosystem, the life that can develop in each of them is directly conditioned.
The concept of ecosystem comes from the English ” ecosystem “, a term that was coined by Arthur Roy Clapham, a British botanist, in the 1930s. It is a word that is formed by the prefix eco- which comes from the Greek and means “house » (in this context, environment or place of development of life) and by the word system.
This concept is studied by different natural sciences given its great importance on the planet, being the object of analysis and study in ecology, biology, phytogeography and zoogeography.
Characteristics of an ecosystem
Every ecosystem is characterized by the presence of living (or biotic) and non-living (abiotic) beings. The former are animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and algae, while the latter refer to temperature, water, humidity, air, light, shade, pressure, terrain, weather. wind and pH.
Its main features are:
- Formation: An ecosystem is formed by fauna, flora and regions, being a mixture of all of them.
- Influences: The beings and organisms that are part of it are directly influenced by the water and the aridity of the terrain, as well as their position in front of the meridians.
- Food: One of the main characteristics of ecosystems is that they maintain a constant exchange of energy and matter that passes from some living beings to others, which is known as the food chain.
- Extinction: One of the main problems for ecosystems today is the human being. The destruction and fragmentation of habitats due to uncontrolled hunting and fishing, indiscriminate logging or fire, as well as climate change and pollution, affect the natural balance that must prevail in ecosystems. This affects their growth and development.
- Adaptation: Living beings adapt to the environment in which they find themselves. They also do it to the existing climate.
- Autotrophic beings: Are those organisms that have the ability to make their own food. This is the case of plants and fungi, which manage to absorb nutrients from the sun and the subsoil.
- Heterotrophic beings: Within this group are all those living beings that feed on other living beings, such as carnivores, herbivores and certain parasites.
Types of ecosystems
On the planet there are different types of ecosystems, that is, different environments in which living beings develop their lives, forming communities and interacting with each other. Two main types can be differentiated: terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems.
Terrestrial ecosystems
The terrestrial ecosystem is the habitat of land in which living beings, whether flora or fauna, are prepared to survive. As its own name indicates, it takes place on the earth’s surface. Therefore it depends on various factors such as temperature, altitude, latitude or humidity. The more humidity and temperature there are, the ecosystems will be more varied and heterogeneous.
Regarding terrestrial ecosystems we can find different types:
Deserts
They occupy around 17% of the planet earth, with an average rainfall of 25%. These are areas with flora with hard and scarce leaves. The fauna is also very scarce and some mammals predominate, and especially reptiles, birds and butterflies.
Bed sheets
Tropical-type grassland areas made up of a low number of trees, with grasslands prevailing. The fauna is made up of cattle, mammals, birds, reptiles and rodents. They are an ideal place for the breeding and development of livestock.
Forests
These types of ecosystems are characterized by having a high amount of trees and vegetation, being very humid areas where the fauna is very varied. Within the forests there are a large number of different types, according to their geographical situation and other particularities.
We stopped
Areas characterized by suffering from cold air and mist during most of the year, as well as arid soils and snow. Its vegetation is mostly perennial and the fauna consists mainly of ducks, deer, pigeons, rodents, birds and amphibians.
Aquatic ecosystems
An aquatic ecosystem is one in which living beings develop their life underwater, whether it is fresh or salt water. These living beings have particular characteristics on a physical level that allow them to adapt to this environment.
They can be classified into two large groups, which are:
Marine ecosystems
They are those in which there is existence of salt water, such as oceans and seas. Depending on the sunlight they receive, they can be photic and aphotic. The former allow the photosynthesis process to be carried out and in the latter the sunlight is not enough for it.
Freshwater ecosystems
They are those in which there is a presence of fresh water, as is the case of lakes and rivers. There are different subtypes such as lentic, where there is stagnant water, lotic, in which the water moves, and other environments in which there is both groundwater and springs.