China Public Space Organization China's space organization has delivered the first photographs taken by the Zhurong meanderer on Mars, showing portions of its lander and the red planet itself. The Tianwen-1 mission showed up at its objective on May fifteenth, making China the subsequent country to effectively delicate land on Mars after the US. One of the photographs is a hued picture (above) taken by the route camera mounted at the back of the wanderer. It includes Zhurong's sun powered boards and unfurled receiving wires, alongside a perspective in the world's red soil and shakes. The other photograph (underneath) is a high contrast picture taken by a deterrent evasion camera introduced before the wanderer. It was caught utilizing a wide-point focal point, so it not just shows a slope from the lander reaching out to the outside of the planet, yet additionally the Martian skyline. Notwithstanding the two pictures, the mission test sent back a video that shows how the l...
Ecosystem
An
ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in
a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living
environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere). Ecosystems are
the foundations of the biosphere and they determine the health of the
entire earth system.
In an ecosystem, each organism has its own niche or
role to play.Consider a small puddle at the back of your home. In it, you
may find all sorts of living things, from microorganisms to insects and plants.
These may depend on non-living things like water, sunlight, turbulence in the
puddle, temperature, atmospheric pressure and even nutrients in the water for
life.of living things)
This very complex, wonderful interaction of
living things and their environment, has been the
foundations of energy flow and recycle of carbon and nitrogen. Anytime a ‘stranger’ (living thing(s) or external factor
such as rise in temperature) is introduced to an
ecosystem, it can be disastrous to that ecosystem. This is because the new organism (or factor) can distort the natural balance of the
interaction and potentially harm or destroy the ecosystem.
Click to read on ecosystem threats .
Usually,
biotic members of an ecosystem, together with their abiotic factors depend on
each other. This means the absence of one member or one abiotic factor can
affect all parties of the ecosystem.
Unfortunately, ecosystems have been disrupted, and even destroyed by natural disasters such as fires, floods, storms and volcanic eruptions. Human activities have also contributed to the disturbance of many ecosystems and biomes.
Ecosystem goods and services
This is the extremely vital life-support services ecosystems provide to human life, its well-being and future economic and social development. For example: The benefits ecosystems provide include food, water, timber, air purification, soil formation and pollination.
Unfortunately, ecosystems have been disrupted, and even destroyed by natural disasters such as fires, floods, storms and volcanic eruptions. Human activities have also contributed to the disturbance of many ecosystems and biomes.
Ecosystem goods and services
This is the extremely vital life-support services ecosystems provide to human life, its well-being and future economic and social development. For example: The benefits ecosystems provide include food, water, timber, air purification, soil formation and pollination.
Scales of Ecosystems
Ecosystems come in indefinite sizes. It can exist in a small area such as underneath a rock, a decaying tree trunk, or a pond in your village, or it can exist in large forms such as an entire rain forest. Technically, the Earth can be called a huge ecosystem.
Ecosystems come in indefinite sizes. It can exist in a small area such as underneath a rock, a decaying tree trunk, or a pond in your village, or it can exist in large forms such as an entire rain forest. Technically, the Earth can be called a huge ecosystem.
The
illustration above shows an example of a small (decaying tree trunk) ecosystem
To
make things simple, let us classify ecosystems into three main scales.
Micro: A small scale ecosystem such as a pond, puddle, tree trunk, under a rock etc.
Messo: A medium scale ecosystem such as a forest or a large lake.
Biome: A very large ecosystem or collection of ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic factors such as an entire Rainforest with millions of animals and trees, with many different water bodies running through them.
Ecosystem boundaries are not marked (separated) by rigid lines.
They are often separated by geographical barriers such as deserts, mountains, oceans, lakes and rivers. As these borders are never rigid, ecosystems tend to blend into each other. This is why a lake can have many small ecosystems with their own unique characteristics. Scientists call this blending “ecotone”
Ecosystems can be put into 2 groups. If the ecosystem exists in a water body, like an ocean, freshwater or puddle, it is called an aquatic ecosystem. Those that exists outside of water bodies are called terrestrial ecosystems
They are often separated by geographical barriers such as deserts, mountains, oceans, lakes and rivers. As these borders are never rigid, ecosystems tend to blend into each other. This is why a lake can have many small ecosystems with their own unique characteristics. Scientists call this blending “ecotone”
Ecosystems can be put into 2 groups. If the ecosystem exists in a water body, like an ocean, freshwater or puddle, it is called an aquatic ecosystem. Those that exists outside of water bodies are called terrestrial ecosystems
Levels of organisation in an
ecosystem
To understand the levels of belonging in an ecosystem, let us consider the diagram below.
To understand the levels of belonging in an ecosystem, let us consider the diagram below.
Individual, Species, Organism:
An individual is any living thing or organism.
Individuals do not breed with individuals from other groups. Animals, unlike
plants, tend to be very definite with this term because some plants can
cross-breed with other fertile plants.
In the diagram above, you will notice that Gill, the goldfish, is interacting with its environment, and will only crossbreed with other gold fishes just like her.
In the diagram above, you will notice that Gill, the goldfish, is interacting with its environment, and will only crossbreed with other gold fishes just like her.
Population:
A group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area at a given time. (example is Gill and his family and friends and other fishes of Gill’s species) Note that populations include individuals of the same species, but may have different genetic makeup such as hair/eye/skin colour and size between themselves and other populations.
A group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area at a given time. (example is Gill and his family and friends and other fishes of Gill’s species) Note that populations include individuals of the same species, but may have different genetic makeup such as hair/eye/skin colour and size between themselves and other populations.
Community:
This includes all the populations in a specific area at a given time. A community includes populations of organisms of different species. In the diagram above, note how populations of gold fishes, salmons, crabs and herrings coexist in a defined location. A great community usually includes biodiversity.
This includes all the populations in a specific area at a given time. A community includes populations of organisms of different species. In the diagram above, note how populations of gold fishes, salmons, crabs and herrings coexist in a defined location. A great community usually includes biodiversity.
Ecosystem:
As explained in the pages earlier, ecosystems include more than a community of living organisms (abiotic) interacting with the environment (abiotic). At this level note how they depend on other abiotic factors such as rocks, water, air and temperature.
Biome:
A biome, in simple terms, is a set of ecosystems sharing similar characteristics with their abiotic factors adapted to their environments.
As explained in the pages earlier, ecosystems include more than a community of living organisms (abiotic) interacting with the environment (abiotic). At this level note how they depend on other abiotic factors such as rocks, water, air and temperature.
Biome:
A biome, in simple terms, is a set of ecosystems sharing similar characteristics with their abiotic factors adapted to their environments.
Biosphere:
When we consider all the different biomes, each blending into the other, with all humans living in many different geographic areas, we form a huge community of humans, animals and plants, and micro-organisms in their defined habitats. A biosphere is the sum of all the ecosystems
When we consider all the different biomes, each blending into the other, with all humans living in many different geographic areas, we form a huge community of humans, animals and plants, and micro-organisms in their defined habitats. A biosphere is the sum of all the ecosystems
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