How do ecosystems differ from each other

These cycles ensure the continuous supply of different forms of nutrients to organisms in an ecosystem.

A hypothetical ecosystem is shown in figure 1. The term community refers to the biotic factor of an ecosystem. All living organisms in a particular community interact with each other inside a particular ecosystem. Since the interactions within a community only occur between living organisms, a community is also called a biological community. Three types of interactions can exist within the living organisms in the community.

They are mutualism , commensalism , and predation. Mutualism refers to the interactions in which both parties in the relationship are benefitted. In commensalism , one party is benefitted, while the other party is neither benefitted nor harmed.

In parasitism , one party is benefitted, while the other is harmed. Biodiversity refers to the number of interacting species in a particular biological community.

It reflects the complexity of the relationships in an ecosystem. Since a community represents the biotic factor of an ecosystem, it comprises the organisms in the food chains in an ecosystem. That means the biological community is involved in the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

On the other hand, the members of a community are involved in the recycling of materials as well. Among them, there is a heap of confusion between Ecology and Community, as they have a very thin layer of difference but matters a lot.

So with the help of this article, we will try to differentiate between the two along with a brief summary. Basis for Comparison Ecosystem Community Meaning An Ecosystem consists of the interaction of living organisms biotic components with non-living organisms abiotic components , it is a kind of link between them for the exchange of energy and biogeochemical cycling. Community consists of the group of populations of different species living together and interacting with them in a region.

Example A forest, an estuary, a pond, a grassland. Like different species birds Darwin finches living in the same area, also another example is animals, plants, bacteria living in the same environment. Includes Ecology includes all the components of biotic living and abiotic non-living factors. Community includes biotic factors only. Within a system, numerous interactions occur from the organism level all the way up to the ecosystem as a whole.

Marina Somma is a freelance writer and animal trainer. She holds a B. Marina has worked with a number of publications involving animal science, behavior and training, including animals. Five Levels of the Biosphere. What Are the Levels of Organization in Biology? How Many Bacteria Live on Earth? Worms in the Ecosystem. The Ecosystem of a Freshwater Pond.

Limiting Factors of the Freshwater Biome. Summary of an Ecosystem. Examples of Density Dependent Factors. The Gobi is a cold desert , with frequent snowfall and freezing temperatures. Unlike the Sahara, the Gobi has ecosystems based not in sand, but kilometers of bare rock.

Some grass es are able to grow in the cold, dry climate. As a result, these Gobi ecosystems have grazing animal s such as gazelle s and even takhi , an endangered species of wild horse.

Even the cold desert ecosystems of the Gobi are distinct from the freezing desert ecosystems of Antarctica. Antarcticas thick ice sheet covers a continent made almost entirely of dry, bare rock.

Only a few moss es grow in this desert ecosystem, supporting only a few birds, such as skua s. Threats to Ecosystems For thousands of years, people have interacted with ecosystems. Many cultures developed around nearby ecosystems. Many Native American tribes of North Americas Great Plains developed a complex lifestyle based on the native plants and animals of plain s ecosystems, for instance.

Bison , a large grazing animal native to the Great Plains, became the most important biotic factor in many Plains Indians cultures, such as the Lakota or Kiowa. Bison are sometimes mistakenly called buffalo.

These tribes used buffalo hide s for shelter and clothing, buffalo meat for food, and buffalo horn for tools. The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains supported bison herd s, which tribes followed throughout the year. As human populations have grown, however, people have overtaken many ecosystems.

The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains, for instance, became farmland. As the ecosystem shrunk, fewer bison could survive. Today, a few herds survive in protected ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park. In the tropical rain forest ecosystems surrounding the Amazon River in South America, a similar situation is taking place.

The Amazon rain forest includes hundreds of ecosystems, including canopies, understories, and forest floors. These ecosystems support vast food web s. Canopies are ecosystems at the top of the rainforest, where tall, thin trees such as fig s grow in search of sunlight. Canopy ecosystems also include other plants, called epiphyte s, which grow directly on branches. Understory ecosystems exist under the canopy. They are darker and more humid than canopies.

Animals such as monkey s live in understory ecosystems, eating fruits from trees as well as smaller animals like beetles. Forest floor ecosystems support a wide variety of flower s, which are fed on by insect s like butterflies.

Butterflies, in turn, provide food for animals such as spider s in forest floor ecosystems. Human activity threatens all these rain forest ecosystems in the Amazon.

Thousands of acres of land are cleared for farmland, housing, and industry. Countries of the Amazon rain forest, such as Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are underdeveloped. Cutting down trees to make room for crop s such as soy and corn benefits many poor farmers. These resource s give them a reliable source of income and food. Children may be able to attend school, and families are able to afford better health care. However, the destruction of rain forest ecosystems has its costs.

Many modern medicine s have been developed from rain forest plants. Curare , a muscle relaxant, and quinine , used to treat malaria , are just two of these medicines. Many scientists worry that destroying the rain forest ecosystem may prevent more medicines from being developed. The rain forest ecosystems also make poor farmland. Unlike the rich soil s of the Great Plains, where people destroyed the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, Amazon rain forest soil is thin and has few nutrient s.

Only a few seasons of crops may grow before all the nutrients are absorbed. The farmer or agribusiness must move on to the next patch of land, leaving an empty ecosystem behind. Rebounding Ecosystems Ecosystems can recover from destruction, however. The delicate coral reef ecosystems in the South Pacific are at risk due to rising ocean temperatures and decreased salinity. Corals bleach, or lose their bright colors, in water that is too warm. They die in water that isnt salty enough.

Without the reef structure, the ecosystem collapses. Organisms such as algae, plants such as seagrass , and animals such as fish, snakes, and shrimp disappear.