Types of ecosystems. General characteristics of ecosystems

All living organisms live on Earth in isolation from each other, and forming a community. They are all interrelated, as living organisms and factors of inanimate nature. Such a formation in nature is called the ecosystem that lives under certain laws, and has specific traits and qualities with which we will try to meet you.

The concept of the ecosystem

Carefully examine any ecosystem is difficult, as it includes a huge number of living organisms and abiotic factors.

There is a science like ecology, which studies the relations of living nature and the inanimate. But these relationships can only occur within a particular ecosystem and can not occur spontaneously and randomly, but according to some laws.

Types of ecosystems are different, but they all represent the totality of living organisms that interact with each other and with the environment by exchanging substances, energy and information. Therefore, the ecosystem is stable and sustainable over a long period of time.

Classification of ecosystems

Despite the great variety of ecosystems, all of them are open to the public, without it their existence would be impossible. The different types of ecosystems, and classification may be different. If you keep in mind the origin, the ecosystems are:

1. Natural or natural. All interaction is carried out without direct human intervention. They, in turn, are divided into:

• Ecosystems that are completely dependent on solar energy.
• Systems that get energy from both the sun and from other sources.

2. Artificial ecosystems. Created by human hands, and can only exist by him. They are also divided into:

• Agro-ecosystems, i.e. those associated with human activities.
• Technoecology appear in connection with the industrial activities of people.
• Urban ecosystems.

Another classification identifies the following types of natural ecosystems:

1. Ground:

• Rainforests.
• Desert with herbaceous and shrubby vegetation.
• Savannah.
• The desert.
• Deciduous forest.
• Tundra.

2. Freshwater ecosystems:

• Standing water (lake, pond).
• Flowing water (rivers, streams).
• The Swamp.

3. Marine ecosystems:

• The Ocean.
• Continental shelf.
• Areas for fishing.
• Mouth of rivers, bays.
• Deep-sea rift zone.

Regardless of the classification, you can see the variety of ecosystems, which is characterized by its own set of life forms and strength.

Distinctive features of the ecosystem

The Concept of ecosystem can be attributed both to natural formations and man-made. If we talk about natural, for they are characterized by the following features:

• In any ecosystem required elements – are living organisms and abiotic environmental factors.
• In any ecosystem there is a vicious cycle from the production of organic substances to decomposition of inorganic components.
• Interaction of species in ecosystems provides stability and self-control.

All the world is represented by various ecosystems, which are based on living material with a certain structure.

Biotic structure of ecosystem

Even if ecosystems differ in species diversity, abundance of living organisms, their life forms, but the biotic structure in any one of them is still the same.

All types of ecosystems include the same components, without their presence the functioning of the system is simply impossible.

1. Producers.
2. Consumers of the first order.
3. Consumers of the second order.
4. Decomposers.

The first group of organisms include all plants that are capable of photosynthesis. They produce organic matter. This group includes hemotrofy, which form organic compounds. But we do not use solar energy, and the energy of chemical compounds.

The consumers are all organisms, which build their bodies need the intake of organic substances from the outside. These include all plant-eating organisms, predators and omnivorous animals.

Decomposers, which include bacteria, fungi, transform the remains of plants and animals to inorganic compounds usable liveunits.

Ecosystems

The biggest biological system – the biosphere, it in turn consists of individual components. You can make a chain: species-population – ecosystem. The smallest unit, which is part of the ecosystem – this is a kind. In each ecosystem, their number can vary from a few tens to hundreds of thousands.

Regardless of the number of species and individual species in any ecosystem there is a constant exchange of matter, energy, not only among themselves but also with the environment.

If we talk about the exchange of energy, then it is quite possible to apply the laws of physics. The first law of thermodynamics States that energy does not disappear without a trace. It is only transformed from one form to another. According to the second law, in a closed system energy can only increase.

If physical laws apply to ecosystems, we can come to the conclusion that support their livelihoods, they are due to the presence of solar energy, which organisms are able not only to capture but also transform, use and then give to the environment.

Energy is transferred from one trophic level to another, while transmission occurs the transformation of one form of energy into another. Part of it is, of course, is lost as heat.

Contrary to What one might types of natural ecosystems, but such laws are absolutely in each.

Structure of ecosystem

If we consider any ecosystem, it's certainly possible to see different categories, such as producers, consumers and decomposers, always represented by a set of species. Nature provides, if something happens to one of the species that the ecosystem will not die, it always can be successfully replaced by another. This explains the resilience of natural ecosystems.

A wide variety of species in the ecosystem, the diversity of power circuits ensure the sustainability of all processes that take place within the community.

In addition, in any system there are laws that govern all living organisms. Based on this, there are several structures inside the ecosystem:

1. Structure. Shows the ratio of species of plants and animals. In each system this indicator is different, it depends on many factors: geographical location, climate, age of the ecosystem. Look, in numbers surpassing all others, is called credobaptism. But a few representatives in some cases are the indicator of well-being in the system.
2. Trophic structure. A variety of types, extensive food chains in an ecosystem are indicators of sustainability. In any ecosystem, the organisms are linked primarily for the food connections. You can always make the power supply circuit. They usually begin with plant life and end with a predator. For example, a grasshopper eats grass, it will be eaten by a titmouse, and it will catch the kite.
3. Spatial structure. The question arises how such a large number of different types coexist in the same area. It's all thanks to a certain structure in which the settled types of. In a forest the first layer is a light-loving trees. Here there are nests of some birds. The next level - the trees lower, and again the residence for some species.

Any structure is necessarily present in any ecosystem, but it may differ significantly. For example, if you compare the ecosystem of the desert and the rainforest, the difference is visible to the naked eye.

Artificial ecosystem

Such systems are created by human hands. Despite the fact that in them, as in nature, necessarily contains all the components of biotic structure, there are still significant differences. These include the following:

1. Poor Agrocenoses of different species composition. There grow only those plants that grows people. But nature takes its, always, for example, in a field of wheat you can see cornflowers, daisies, a variety of arthropods inhabit. In some systems, even the birds have time to twist in the ground socket and bring the Chicks.
2. If a person does not care for this ecosystem, the cultivated plants can not compete with their wild relatives.
3. Agricultural lands still exist at the expense of additional energy that brings man, for example, making fertilizer.
4. Since the plant biomass is removed along with the harvest, the soil is depleted in nutrients. Therefore, for the further existence again requires human intervention, which will have to make fertilizer to grow the next crop.

We Can conclude thatartificial ecosystems do not belong to a stable and self-regulating systems. If a person ceases to care for them, they will not survive. Gradually, the wild species will displace crops, and agro-ecosystem will be destroyed.

For Example, the artificial ecosystem of the three types of organisms can easily be created at home. If you put the aquarium, and pour water into it, place a few sprigs of Elodea and place two fish, here's an artificial system is ready. Even such a simple can not exist without human intervention.

The Value of ecosystems in nature

More generally, all living organisms are distributed across ecosystems, so their importance is difficult to underestimate.

1. All of the ecosystem are linked by a circulation of substances that can migrate from one system to another.
2. Due to the presence of ecosystems in the nature of preserved biological diversity.
3. All the resources we take from nature, give us ecosystems: clean water, air, fertile soil.

Any ecosystem is very easy to destroy, especially given the possibilities of man.

Ecosystems and people

Since the appearance of man, its impact on nature has increased every year. Developing, the person imagines himself the king of nature, became did not hesitate to destroy plants and animals, destroy natural ecosystems, thereby began to cut the branch on which he sits.

Interfering with the age-old ecosystems and violating the laws of existence of organisms, man has led to the fact that all environmentalists of the world shout in one voice that now is the global environmental crisis. Most scientists believe that natural disasters that in recent years began to occur more often, are nature's answer to thoughtless human intervention in its laws. It's time to stop and think that all types of ecosystems have been formed for centuries, long before the advent of man, and well there without him. But the mankind can live without nature? The answer is obvious.