- "An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact." (quote from the first sentence)
The study of interactions between living organisms and their physical environment.
Biodiversity: The diversity of plant and animal species and their interactions within an ecosystem.
Food webs and food chains: The interrelated feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.
Biomes: The different types of ecosystems that exist around the world, such as deserts, rainforests, and tundra.
Energy flow: The way in which energy is transferred and used within an ecosystem, from primary producers to higher-level consumers.
Nutrient cycles: The processes by which essential nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, are recycled within an ecosystem.
Population dynamics: The ways in which populations of different species interact and change over time, including factors such as birth and death rates, immigration and emigration, and predation.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation: The impacts of human activity, such as deforestation and urbanization, on ecosystems.
Conservation biology: The study of protecting and preserving threatened species and ecosystems.
Ecological succession: The process by which ecosystems change over time, from their initial establishment to a mature, stable community.
Ecological footprint: The impact that human activities have on the environment, including the use of resources such as water and energy, and the production of waste and pollution.
Ecosystem services: The benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, such as food, water, and clean air.
Climate change: The impact that human activity, such as burning of fossil fuels, has on the global climate and its effects on ecosystems.
Invasive species: Species that are introduced to an ecosystem and have negative impacts on native species, often spreading rapidly and outcompeting other organisms.
Biogeochemical cycles: The processes by which elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus move through the biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
Ecological resilience: The ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances such as natural disasters or human activities.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: An ecosystem which comprises of landmasses, covering around 28% of the earth's surface it includes forests, grasslands, deserts, and tundra.
Marine Ecosystems: The largest ecosystem on earth covering 71% of the earth's surface, a marine ecosystem is home to multi-celled organisms living in oceans, rivers, and seas.
Freshwater Ecosystems: Home to fresh water living organisms such as fishes, crabs, and amphibians are known as freshwater ecosystems, with examples including lakes, ponds, and rivers.
Desert Ecosystems: An ecosystem with the extreme features of high temperature, low rainfall, absence of water, less vegetation, and less animal life.
Forest Ecosystems: Forest ecosystems are found in areas with high rainfall and high temperatures, and they house various different species of trees, plants, and animals. They can be classified into three types, namely coniferous, deciduous, and temperate forests.
Grassland Ecosystems: Grassland ecosystems are characterized by areas of flat grasslands, with examples including savannas, prairies, and steppes.
Tundra Ecosystems: The tundra ecosystem is characterized by the presence of low temperatures, minimal rainfall, and barren, icy landscapes.
Wetland Ecosystems: Moist soil or waterlogged area, with vegetation, is known as a wetland ecosystem.
Arctic Ecosystems: A unique ecosystem characterized by minimal sunlight, cold temperatures, and frozen landscapes.
Urban Ecosystems: Human-made and constantly growing ecosystems known for high human population densities and the presence of buildings and infrastructure.
Agricultural Ecosystems: These ecosystems are created, maintained, and used for agricultural purposes, such as farming or livestock.
Island ecosystems: Island ecosystems, which are characterized by their isolation, small size, and fragile nature.
Alpine Ecosystems: High altitude mountain ecosystems with low oxygen levels, short growing season, and harsh weather conditions.
- "These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows." (quote from the first sentence)
- "Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into plant tissue." (quote from the second sentence)
- "By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system." (quote from the second sentence)
- "By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and microbes." (quote from the third sentence)
- "External factors such as climate, parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem." (quote from the fourth sentence)
- "Internal factors are controlled, for example, by decomposition, root competition, shading, disturbance, succession, and the types of species present." (quote from the fourth sentence)
- "The tendency of an ecosystem to remain close to its equilibrium state, despite that disturbance, is termed its resistance." (quote from the sixth sentence)
- "The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks is termed its ecological resilience." (quote from the sixth sentence)
- "Ecosystems can be studied through a variety of approaches—theoretical studies, studies monitoring specific ecosystems over long periods of time, those that look at differences between ecosystems to elucidate how they work and direct manipulative experimentation." (quote from the seventh sentence)
- "Biomes are general classes or categories of ecosystems. However, there is no clear distinction between biomes and ecosystems." (quote from the eighth sentence)
- "Biotic factors of the ecosystem are living things; such as plants, animals, and bacteria." (quote from the ninth sentence)
- "Abiotic factors...such as water, soil, and atmosphere." (quote from the ninth sentence)
- "Ecosystem goods include the 'tangible, material products' of ecosystem processes such as water, food, fuel, construction material, and medicinal plants." (quote from the final two sentences)
- "Ecosystem services, on the other hand, are generally 'improvements in the condition or location of things of value'." (quote from the final two sentences)
- "Many ecosystems become degraded through human impacts, such as soil loss, air and water pollution, habitat fragmentation, water diversion, fire suppression, and introduced species and invasive species." (quote from the second-last sentence)
- "These threats can lead to abrupt transformation of the ecosystem or to gradual disruption of biotic processes and degradation of abiotic conditions of the ecosystem. Once the original ecosystem has lost its defining features, it is considered 'collapsed'." (quote from the second-last sentence)
- "Ecosystem restoration can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals." (quote from the last sentence)
- "such as soil loss, air and water pollution, habitat fragmentation, water diversion, fire suppression, and introduced species and invasive species." (quote from the second-last sentence)
- "These include things like the maintenance of hydrological cycles, cleaning air and water, the maintenance of oxygen in the atmosphere, crop pollination and even things like beauty, inspiration and opportunities for research." (quote from the final two sentences)