Welcome to Ecosystem Guide
Ecosystem Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Basic Components Of An Ecosystem
from:The world we live in is composed of many, many different ecosystems, all interacting and playing off one another. Each of these ecosystems has parts, or components, which also interact within the ecosystem to produce the effects we observe and draw conclusions from. Although the components of ecosystems vary greatly from one place to another, in general we can categorize them to help better understand how they interrelate and what commonalities exist from one ecosystem to another.
A basic division that is made when considering the components of any ecosystem is between the living, or "biotic," parts and the non-living, or "abiotic". The amount of sunlight a particular area receives; the temperature and climate over an extended period of time; and the amount of rainfall received are all examples of abiotic components of an ecosystem. For ecosystems that exist in water, the type of water (freshwater or salt) and the strength of water current are ecosystem-specific components.
The biotic components of ecosystems can be further broken down into subcategories based on the feeding characteristics of a given animal. The most basic level of biotic components are the primary producers, or "autotrophs," which produce their own food usually using the chemical process known as photosynthesis. In a land ecosystem, these organisms would be the green plants, trees, bushes and the like; in a sea ecosystem, the primary producers are phytoplankton.
Above the level of autotrophs are the "heterotrophs," animals which feed on other animals in order to get their necessary nutrients. Within this category there can be countless divisions again, depending on which level in the food chain a particular animal preys upon for its food. However, there are four subcategories which must be present in any ecosystem, which are:
• Herbivores, which feed only on plants
• Carnivores, which feed only on other animals
• Omnivores, which feed on plants and animals, and
• Detritivores, which feed on dead things.
Now we must look briefly at how the components of ecosystems interact with and affect one another. Take, for example, a pond. The sunlight shines down into the water, and if the pond is relatively stagnant and nutrient-rich, tiny green algae will utilize the abiotic components to manufacture their own food. At the edge of the pond, the same sunlight is taken in by other plants, such as reeds and marshland plant life, to produce their food. Inside the pond, microscopic animals feed on the algae. Insects, such as water beetles and their young, will in turn feed on the microscopic animals, and become food for larger animals such as fish and birds. At the top of the chain lie the animals that only eat other animals, such as herons, which feed only on fish. The final step in the chain occurs when the animal dies, and is fed on by bacteria as part of the decomposition process.
Ecosystem News
Twitter CEO Talks Stats, Ecosystem, Hints at New Features - WebProNews (blog)
![]() Telegraph.co.uk | Twitter CEO Talks Stats, Ecosystem, Hints at New Features WebProNews (blog) Twitter CEO Evan Williams revealed some numbers about Twitter usage on the company blog, while talking about how the Twitter ecosystem (of ... Twitter hits 145 million user mark, sees rise in mobile use Twitter Now Over 145 Million Users, Almost 300000 Apps Twitter hits 145 million users |
Tony Blair: Princess Diana a 'Meteor' in the Royal 'Ecosystem' - ABC News
![]() Daily Mail | Tony Blair: Princess Diana a 'Meteor' in the Royal 'Ecosystem' ABC News Diana "was a kind of meteor coming into what had been a fairly well disciplined, well ordered ecosystem," he said. "And that obviously had a big impact on ... Tony Blair told Princess Diana her relationship with Dodi Fayed was a problem |
We need a better understanding of the 'environmentalist's paradox' better - The Guardian (blog)
We need a better understanding of the 'environmentalist's paradox' better The Guardian (blog) The editorial introducing the article sets the scene: Studies including the influential Millennium Ecosystem Assessment have concluded that the capacity of ... The New Republic: The Environment Paradox Why do we do better while the earth does worse? |
Hot OTC Stocks (ESYR, NPDT, CMGR, RPPR) - StockMister
Hot OTC Stocks (ESYR, NPDT, CMGR, RPPR) StockMister EcoSystem Corporation (OTC:ESYR) fell 25.93% to $0.0020. So far more than 34.10 million shares have been traded, compared to its average volume of 11.48 ... OTC Stocks Seeing Action |
UMSL hosts free lecture on African ecosystem Sept. 7 - St. Louis American
![]() St. Louis American | UMSL hosts free lecture on African ecosystem Sept. 7 St. Louis American Tony Sinclair will speak on “Longterm Dynamics in the Serengeti Ecosystem: Lessons for Conservation and Society” in 121 Research Hall at UMSL. ... |
Sourcefire Increases Threat Protection with Security Ecosystem Initiative - MarketWatch (press release)
Sourcefire Increases Threat Protection with Security Ecosystem Initiative MarketWatch (press release) ... Security Information & Event Management (SIEM), vulnerability management, and infrastructure technologies into an intelligent security ecosystem. ... Sourcefire introduces new Technology Partner Program Sourcefire Launches Security Ecosystem Initiative |
The Seeds Of Apple's Cloud - Gizmodo Australia
![]() ABC News | The Seeds Of Apple's Cloud Gizmodo Australia Apple's finally starting to reward people for buying into the Apple ecosystem, but everything they're doing ... Apple's new Apple TV: Hit or miss? Apple's media empire expands Wall Street views new Apple TV as small step, not living room revolution |







![Hidden Worlds Series II: Australia's Dingo Island and The River Jordan [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHKDQDHTL._SL160_SS160_.jpg)



