Definition of Ecosystem

Examples of ecosystems include marshes, deserts and temperate forest. The boundaries of ecosystems are often blurred, with members of adjoining habitats interacting. In addition, wildlife from one ecosystem may use other ecosystems during its life.

Definition

An ecosystem is a collection of all plants, animals, micro-organism, bacterium and fungus as well as the non-living components that function together as one unit in a given area.

Function

An ecosystem functions by a series of cycles and food webs that create a flow of energy through the system--from a plant undergoing photosynthesis to the grazer that feeds on the plants to the predator that preys on the grazer to the bacterium that decompose organic matter.

Features

Three components are necessary for an ecosystem to exist: producers such as plants which produce food, consumers such as wildlife that use food resources, and decomposers which recycle nutrients within the system.

Vital Processes

Vital processes to an ecosystem include photosynthesis for plant food production, the nitrogen cycle which provides a means for plants to take in nitrogen, and the hydrologic cycle where water is circulated through the ecosystem.

Considerations

While ecosystems having varying degrees of tolerance, the overall health of an ecosystem is dependent upon the uninterrupted cycle of energy and avoidance of human activities that may disrupt its flow.

References

• Minnesota's Natural Heritage; John R. Tester; 1995
• Ecology and Field Biology; Robert Leo Smith; 1990
• Ecosystems and human well-being: current state and trends; Rashid M. Hassan, Robert Scholes, Neville Ash; 2005

Resources

• Endangered Ecosystems of the United States