- "Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework."
The study of how energy and nutrients flow through ecosystems, and how these processes impact ecosystem function.
Ecosystem Definition: The concept of ecosystem refers to the study of the relationships that exist between abiotic and biotic factors within a given community or area of land.
Ecosystem Components: Ecosystems can be divided into several components: Biotic, abiotic, and ecological processes, which all influence each other.
Ecological Succession: Ecological succession is the process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.
Energy Flow and Ecological Pyramids: In ecosystems, energy is transferred from one population to another through a process known as energy flow.
Biogeochemical Cycles: Biogeochemical cycles are the pathways of nature by which certain elements move between the biotic and abiotic world.
Population Dynamics: Population dynamics refer to the study of the changes that occur over time in the size, density, and distribution of populations.
Population Interactions: Different populations interact with one another within an ecosystem, and these relationships can be either competitive or symbiotic.
Trophic Levels: Trophic levels are the levels of energy transfer within an ecosystem, starting from primary producers to apex predators.
Food Webs and Food Chains: Food webs and chains are detailed models of energy transfer within an ecosystem, and help identify the role of each species in the system.
Keystone Species: Keystone species are those species that have a disproportionately large impact on the ecosystem they inhabit, despite their low population densities.
Biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety of life forms and their interactions within a given ecosystem, which is important for maintaining ecosystem stability.
Sustainable Resource Management: Sustainable resource management refers to the management of natural resources in a way that optimizes their use, while ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Restoration Ecology: Restoration ecology is the process of restoring ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed by human activities, such as logging or mining.
Conservation Biology: Conservation biology is the study of how to protect and manage biodiversity, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
Climate Change and Global Warming: Climate change is a major threat to biodiversity and the stability of ecosystems, and is caused by human activities such as greenhouse gas emissions.
Biomes and Ecoregions: Biomes are large-scale ecosystems characterized by similar climate patterns, while ecoregions are smaller-scale ecosystems that can have unique characteristics and natural resource management challenges.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology focuses on studying the terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, and deserts, etc., and their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.
Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology deals with the study of freshwater, oceans, and estuaries, and their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.
Urban Ecosystem Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology studies the interaction between humans and the urban environment, as well as the effects of human activities on the ecosystem in urban areas.
Agro-Ecosystem Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology focuses on the study of agricultural ecosystems and their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. It also studies the effects of agricultural practices on the environment and how to manage them sustainably.
Forest Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology studies the complex interactions and relationships between different plant and animal species within the forest ecosystem, as well as their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.
Grasslands Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology deals with the study of grassland ecosystems, their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors, and the effects of human intervention on these ecosystems.
Wetlands Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology involves the study of wetland ecosystems and their role in maintaining the environment's health. It also studies how to manage these ecosystems sustainably.
Marine Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology includes the study of various marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, and Open Ocean ecosystems, their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors, and the effects of human activities on these ecosystems.
Tundra Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology involves the study of Arctic and Alpine tundra ecosystems, including their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors, and the effects of climate change on these ecosystems.
Desert Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology focuses on the study of desert ecosystems, their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors, and how to manage these ecosystems sustainably.
Biodiversity Conservation Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology focuses on the study and conservation of biodiversity, including the interactions between different species and their habitats, and how to protect and restore them.
Restoration Ecology: This type of ecosystem ecology involves the study of how to restore ecosystems that have been damaged or degraded due to human activities. It includes the restoration of degraded lands, water bodies, and other ecosystems.
- "Ecosystem ecology examines physical and biological structures and examines how these ecosystem characteristics interact with each other."
- "Ultimately, this helps us understand how to maintain high-quality water and economically viable commodity production."
- "These include primary productivity (production of biomass), decomposition, and trophic interactions."
- "Studies of ecosystem function have greatly improved human understanding of sustainable production of forage, fiber, fuel, and provision of water."
- "Functional processes are mediated by regional-to-local level climate, disturbance, and management."
- "Ecosystem ecology provides a powerful framework for identifying ecological mechanisms that interact with global environmental problems, especially global warming and degradation of surface water."
- "Ecosystem boundaries are often nebulous and may fluctuate in time." - "Organisms within ecosystems are dependent on ecosystem level biological and physical processes." - "Adjacent ecosystems closely interact and often are interdependent for maintenance of community structure and functional processes that maintain productivity and biodiversity."
- "These characteristics also introduce practical problems into natural resource management." - "Who will manage which ecosystem? Will timber cutting in the forest degrade recreational fishing in the stream?"
- "We need better understanding of the interactions and interdependencies of these ecosystems and the processes that maintain them before we can begin to address these questions."
- "The ecosystem is the principal unit of study in ecosystem ecology."
- "Population, community, and physiological ecology provide many of the underlying biological mechanisms influencing ecosystems and the processes they maintain." - "Biogeochemistry and hydrology focus on several fundamental ecosystem processes such as biologically mediated chemical cycling of nutrients and physical-biological cycling of water."
- "Ecosystem ecology approaches organisms and abiotic pools of energy and nutrients as an integrated system which distinguishes it from associated sciences such as biogeochemistry."
- "Biogeochemistry focuses on fundamental ecosystem processes such as biologically mediated chemical cycling of nutrients."
- "Hydrology focuses on the physical-biological cycling of water."
- "Ecosystem ecology forms the mechanistic basis for regional or global processes encompassed by landscape-to-regional hydrology, global biogeochemistry, and earth system science."