Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Brief note on importance of biodiversity
Brief note on importance of biodiversity
Chapter 4 ecosystems,components,energy flow
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Brief note on importance of biodiversity
Introduction
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem takes place in a body of water, which has a community of organisms that depend upon each other to live and function. Three major ecosystem functions are energy flow, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. Energy flows through an ecosystem and trophic levels from primary producers, which use solar energy in photosynthesis to synthesize complex organic substances (Reece & Campbell 2011, Lindeman 1942, & Gaston 2000). Solar energy is the basis from which all life in an ecosystem depend upon (Lindeman 1942). Nutrient cycling is passed from trophic level to trophic level and from ecosystem to ecosystem via consumption, translocation, fecal matter, and decomposition (Reece & Campbell 2011, Vanni 2002, & Hammer & Holmlund 1999). The nutrients often undergo many transformations from one chemical form to another (Vanni 2002). Ecologist Camille Parmesan explains the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem and its benefits, such as breathable air being the result of plants and microorganisms (Reece & Campbell 2011). How efficient an ecosystem processes depends on the species present (Giller et al 2004). Energy flow, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity each a play a critical role in the regulation of ecosystems. In the sections to follow I will discuss each of these in depth.
Energy Flow
Energy flows through an ecosystem and trophic levels from primary producers, which use solar energy in photosynthesis to synthesize complex organic substances (Reece & Campbell 2011, Lindeman 1942, & Gaston 2000). As energy flows through an ecosystem it goes in the form of primary productivity (a bottom up approach): nutrients are taken up by plants (primary producers); the plants are then eaten by primary con...
... middle of paper ...
...ics, 29 (2), pp. 253--268.
Humbert, J. and Dorigo, U. 2005. Biodiversity and aquatic ecosystem functioning: A mini review. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, 8 (4), pp. 367-374.
Lindeman, R. L. 1942. The trophic-dynamic aspect of ecology. Ecology, 23 (4), pp. 399--417.
Odum, E. P. 1969. The strategy of ecosystem development. Science, 164 (3877), pp. 262-270.
Reece, J. B. and Campbell, N. A. 2011. Campbell biology. Boston: Benjamin Cummings.
S Giller, P., Hillebr, Berninger, U., O Gessner, M., Hawkins, S., Inchausti, P., Inglis, C., Leslie, H., Malmqvist, B., T Monaghan, M. and Others. 2004. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning: emerging issues and their experimental test in aquatic environments. Oikos, 104 (3), pp. 423--436.
Vanni, M. J. 2002. Nutrient cycling by animals in freshwater ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, pp. 341--370.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
Mills, Scott L., Daniel F. Doak, and Michael E. Soule. "The Keystone-species Concept in Ecology and Conservation." BioScience 43.4 (1993): 219-25. Apr. 1993. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
Fish habitat is the underwater world which many people do not see. It is just like the world that people live. Fish and plants reproduce, eat, and live in this environment, and even face challenges such as invasive species. It is said that “Invasive species are non-native species that threaten the diversity or abundance of native species due to their uncontrollable population growth, causing ecological or economic impacts” (“Invasive” par. 1). Vegetation plays a big role for fish habitat and for a lake itself. Aquatic habitat provides living space for not only fish but also for many aquatic insects. These insects then in turn provide fish and other species of animals with food (“Native” par. 4).
Karatayev, A., Burlakova, L. E. and Padilla, D. K. (2002) Impacts of zebra mussels on aquatic communities and their role as ecosystem engineers. Springer, pp. 433--446.
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms. There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation for furs. This has affected marine ecology adversely. It is therefore suggested that sea otters should be included in the endangered species list to protect them from further exploitation. This study focuses on the community ecology of sea otters and their impact on marine ecology. The need for their inclusion in the Endangered Species list and the implications of such an intervention are also evaluated.
Since energy is a necessary part of how an organism survives, how it obtains it’s energy is crucial. When you look at an ecosystem, and all the organisms living within that ecosystem, you can link many of the species together by their dependence on each other. Scientists will look at these links to see how they depend on each other, or in other words, where their main source of energy and nutrition is. Once that step is determined, scientists will assign that group of species to a trophic level; to either the primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, or the tertiary consumers.
Lake Erie is a fascinating biological system despite many years of climate and human destruction along with ecosystem challenges. The burning river now has become the greatest ecosystem recovery of the world.
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Systems, 2014. Web. The Web. The Web. 27 Feb 2014.
"Wetlands" is the collective term for marshes, swamps, bogs, and similar areas. Wetlands are found in flat vegetated areas, in depressions on the landscape, and between water and dry land along the edges of streams, rivers, lakes, and coastlines. Wetland areas can be found in nearly every county and climatic zone in the United States. Inland wetlands receive water from precipitation, ground water and/or surface water. Coastal and estuarine wetlands receive water from precipitation, surface water, tides, and/or ground water. Surface water sources include runoff and stormwater.
In many parts of the world, ecosystems’ temperatures begin to rise and fall to extreme levels making it very difficult for animals and plants to adapt in time to survive. Climate has never been stable here on Earth. Climate is an important environmental influence on ecosystems. Climate changes the impacts of climate change, and affects ecosystems in a variety of ways. For instance, warming could force species to migrate to higher latitudes or higher elevations where temperatures are more conducive to their survival. Similarly, as sea level rises, saltwater intrusion into a freshwater sys...
I am particularly surprised how the agricultural industry inflicts these problems on themselves, by excessive use of sewage systems and pollutants which find their way to local rivers [Fig 1.]. The trophic state (i.e. the natural nutrition factors) and biodiversity of lakes and rivers are greatly effected by the main nutrients involved, nitrates and phosphates. The transition occurs mainly between a mesotropic state, with an average biological productivity to a eutrophic state where there is a larger production of organisms due to high nutrient concentrations. Tropical reservoirs in particular often become eutrophic.
Scientists have begun to say that we have to do more to protect our ecosystem, because our very existence is depending upon it. When the ecosystem is not functioning properly the continuation of plant, animal and human life ecosystems would be impossible. Life cycles can not function without ecosystems. The ecosystem provides us with clean air, water, habitats for fish and other services. They also aid in the mod...
For example, oceans recycle sewage into nutrients, remove toxins from the water, provide food, and turn carbon dioxide into food and oxygen.... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Country Projects. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, n.d. Web.
Biodiversity is so important that if any chain or link is disturbed then the whole system will come to a halt. Biodiversity also boosts ecosystem productivity and if it declines automatically our ecosystem also declines as both are interdependent upon each other, where all the species play an essential role in the way ecosystem functions, so local and global species loss could threaten the stability of the ecosystem services on which humans depend. This is an interesting topic as well as a global issue concerning the whole human civilization and their existence. . The said issue as well as many other issues regarding our natural processes cannot be neglected as our present and future depends entirely on the sustainability and growth of this ecosystem and biodiversity. Our ecosystem completely depends on the way biodiversity functions. This is the reason I have chosen this topic and gathered information about how it e...
NEED AND PURPOSE FOR CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY: Biodiversity, a contraction of “biological diversity,” generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. The very existence of human species and sustainable development depend on biodiversity conservation, therefore the need for conservation of biodiversity is basically for this reason that all living creatures need other creatures and plants in one way or the other. At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are mainly derived from biological resources. Biodiversity is necessary for our existence as well as valuable in its own right as it provides the fundamental building blocks for the many goods and services which are essential