An ecosystem is the set formed by living beings and non-living elements of the environment and the vital relationship that is established between them. The science in charge of studying ecosystems and these relationships is called ecology. Ecosystems can be of two types: terrestrial (forests, jungles, savannas, deserts, poles, etc.) and aquatic (they comprise from a pool to the oceans, seas, lakes, lagoons, mangroves, coral reefs, etc.). It should be noted that most of our planet's ecosystems are aquatic, since its three quarters are covered by water.
What is an ecosystem
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An ecosystem is the grouping of living things that share the same biotope or habitat, and interact with each other. These species disintegrate and become part of the nutrient energy of the environment through predation, parasitism, symbiosis and competition. The species of an ecosystem such as plants, fungi, bacteria and animals depend on each other. The flow of energy and matter in an ecosystem depends on the relationships between the environment and the species.
The ecosystem concept was initially coined around 1930 to botanist Arthur G Tansley, but it has evolved since then.
Initially it referred to units of various spatial scales, such as from a piece of degraded trunk, a disappointment, to a biosphere or entire region of the planet, whenever the existence of interaction between the physical environment and organisms was possible.
Taking as a basis that an ecosystem is the set of organisms in a community and its environment, several types of living beings that compose them can be defined.
Considering the food chain, in the first place would be the primary producers, those who are capable of creating organic matter from inorganic compounds, that is, they are autotrophic organisms.
Now, following the food chain, consumers are in second place, they are heterotrophic organisms (herbivores, carnivores or omnivores) that feed on the matter and energy produced by other living beings. In the last link in the food chain of organisms that make up an ecosystem are decomposers, which feed on dead organic matter.
Types of ecosystems
Within planet earth there are different environments in which living beings carry out their daily lives forming communities, developing, coexisting and interacting in a sustainable way. There are basically two types of ecosystems, these are terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems.
Ecosystems are generally not limited to their size, they are only conditioned by the interconnections of the elements that compose it. In the case of energy, it enters ecosystems through plants and the process called photosynthesis.
This energy is maintained in it and revolves around the different animals that make it up, these in turn feed on plants or other animals. For this reason it is said that energy flows in a sustainable way.
The most important types of ecosystems are
Aquatic ecosystem
The aquatic ecosystem is one where all its living components carry out all their activities and develop under water, whether salty such as seas and oceans, or sweet such as lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
These living beings are endowed with physical characteristics that allow their necessary adaptation and development in the face of a watery habitat.
The aquatic ecosystem is classified into two large groups that are:
Marine
This marine environment is also known as halobios and is formed by the oceans, marshes, seas, etc. They are very stable in terms of the development of life, it is an extraordinary, mysterious place with still unknown areas.
In the marine environment there is a fauna formed by a large number of species that are not only found on the surfaces of seas and oceans, there are also those that are found in the immense depths of those waters, many of them still without being fully discovered.
In addition to this, the aspects of these ecosystems vary according to the area, one of them is high and low temperatures. Some species can subsist in areas of intense water salinity, while others seek areas with less salinity, with conditions suitable for integrity and life.
Species found in the marine environment are varied, you can find all types of fish, whales, sharks, seals and manatees, in addition to all types of small organisms that are part of this environment, such as algae, plankton and coral reefs.
Beach areas are intermediate regions where ocean ecosystems are already beginning, although they are not welcoming environments for different plants due to the salinity in these areas, still a large amount of grass grows.
Fresh water
The freshwater environment is also known as "limnobia" and they are formed by rivers, swamps, lakes, etc. They are made up of a great variety of species of all colors and genres, both in vegetation and fauna.
That is why you can find animals with characteristics typical of this environment and also amphibians that can make life in both ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic.
In addition to the above, it has a great variety of possibilities with regard to vegetation, since it has an extensive presence of flora.
Having different environments, the flora is very diverse. Freshwater ecosystems that include rivers, lakes, among others, are one of the most fertile areas and, therefore, where the greatest biodiversity of vegetation is found.
Regarding the fauna of this ecosystem, it is estimated that about 41% are fish.
It is also important to mention that, according to studies, 70% of the planet is made up of the aquatic ecosystem and most of the natural environments are freshwater ecosystems.
Terrestrial ecosystem
It is the terrain or soil habitat where most of the living beings, fauna or vegetation, are adapted to carry out all their survival activities.
This is the best known to man because it does not require special equipment for observation.
This type of ecosystem develops in the biosphere of the earth's surface, for this reason it depends on several factors such as humidity, temperature, altitude and latitude. That is, the more humidity and temperature and the less altitude and latitude, the ecosystems will be more heterogeneous, varied, exuberant and rich, unlike those that present low humidity and temperature at high altitude.
There are many varieties when it comes to the types of terrestrial ecosystems, the most important are:
Deserts
Deserts cover 17% of the planet and have an annual rainfall of 25%. Its flora is characterized by being of shrubs with scarce and hard leaves, in addition to a fleshy leaf vegetation where the Cactus predominates.
The fauna is very scarce, you can find certain mammals, various kinds of reptiles, birds and butterflies, they have very high temperatures during the day and low temperatures at night.
Bed sheets
These are areas where tropical grasslands predominate, formed by few trees, here grasslands prevail, plants of herbaceous consistency called grasses.
With regard to fauna there are mammals, rodents, reptiles, birds and cattle. The savannas are the perfect areas for livestock, that is, for the breeding and development of all types of livestock. It has very clear rainy seasons and essential for the animal and plant life that prevails there.
Woods
Forests are areas where a large number of trees, shrubs and bushes predominate, with a temperature that ranges between 24 ° and these are very humid areas. Its fauna is very varied and exotic as is the vegetation. It is important to note that there is a great variety of forests according to the area, geographical situation and the particularity of each country, among them are:
Tropical forest
In this type of forest the climate is very rainy and humid throughout the year, it presents trees with wide and green leaves. This one presents an exuberant and exotic flora, with regard to the fauna there is a variety of amphibians, reptiles and multiple insects.
Andean forest
The Andean forest has warm or very cold temperatures, distributed along the moors. Its flora is made up of palm trees, ferns, legumes and its fauna of animals such as the anteater, squirrels, deer, porcupine, foxes and birds among others.
We stopped
These zones are similar to the tundras in some countries. Its main characteristics are cold air, fog most of the year, snow and arid soils. The flora in the moors is made up of perennial vegetables, shrubs, herbaceous plants, dwarf trees, mosses, lichens, among others. The local flora are pigeons, ducks, deer, reptiles, amphibians, rodents and birds.
Ecosystem characteristics
Every ecosystem is characterized by the presence of living or biotic components (plants, animals, bacteria, algae and fungi) and non-living or abiotic components (light, shade, temperature, water, humidity, air, soil, pressure, wind and pH.).
The species are dispersed in the areas through which they spread in populations or demos, which occupy certain positions in the ecosystems, according to food requirements, the environment they require, etc., positions that define their specific ecological niche. To refer to the environmental characteristics of a given type of organism, one usually speaks of habitat.
- Formation: Ecosystems are formed by regions, flora and fauna, the intermixing of these is maintained and they form a natural position.
- Influences: these are highly influenced by the amount of water, and aridity that exists in the soils and the position they are in front of the meridians.
- Food: Ecosystems are characterized by maintaining a constant exchange of matter and energy that goes from one living being to another, through the so-called food chains. Plants (producing organisms) capture solar energy and synthesize organic matter (food), both for themselves and for the consuming organisms (animals) that take advantage of it, which can then feed on each other. When these organisms die, decomposers (bacteria and fungi) act and transform them into nutrients through the soil, which will be used by plants, thus initiating a new cycle.
- Extinction: It should be noted that ecosystems are currently facing an unprecedented difficulty: Humanity. The uncontrolled action of human beings on ecosystems such as the destruction and fragmentation of habitats (fires, indiscriminate logging, uncontrolled hunting and fishing), climate change, soil and water pollution affect their state of "natural balance", and the normal development and growth of their organisms in a population.
- Adaptation: Living organisms adapt to the circumstances of the environment where they develop, as well as to their climate, when it is desert, the skins and bodies of reptiles and animals adapt to this situation.
- Autotrophic beings: They are those capable of manufacturing or elaborating their food, among them are plants and fungi, they absorb their nutrients from the subsoil and from the sun.
- Heterotrophs or consumers: In this group are all beings that feed on living entities, such as herbivores, carnivores and some parasites.
Ecosystems of Mexico
According to specialists, in the world there are 17 countries with the greatest biodiversity of ecosystems, that is, they have different climatic conditions, with a mixture of biogeographic and relief areas and territorial extension. Among them is the ecosystem of Mexico.
The Center for Education and Training for Sustainable Development (CECADESU) has published how many ecosystems there are in Mexico, highlighting the fact that this country has a great variety. Some examples of the ecosystems present in Mexico are:
Medium rainforest or tropical sub-deciduous forests
These are very dense forests formed by trees that are approximately 15 to 40 meters high and somewhat closed due to the way their crowns meet in the canopy.
In dry seasons almost all trees lose their leaves due to temperatures that reach up to 28 ° C.
Geographically it is distributed in a discontinuous way from the center of Sinaloa to the coastal zone of Chiapas, along the Pacific slope and forming a very narrow strip that covers a part of Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche, some isolated patches are also present in Veracruz and Tamaulipas.
Thorny forest
As its name indicates, it is made up of thorny trees such as quisache, tintal, mesquite, palo blanco and cardón.
It has an area of approximately 5% of Mexico, it is difficult to establish its limits, since it is found between different types of vegetation, such as xerophilous scrub or grassland and tropical deciduous forest. Its temperature varies between 17 to 29 ° C and the dry seasons are from 5 to 9 months.
The soils of this ecosystem are very conducive to agriculture, this has led to its description since they have been replaced, to a large extent, by various crops and in other areas, by unnatural pastures for livestock as is the case of San Luis Potosí and Veracruz.
Coastal lagoons
The coastal lagoons are found along the entire coast of Mexico. It is estimated that there are up to 125 coastal lagoons throughout the country. The lagoons are closed bodies of seawater that reach up to 50 meters deep. These ecosystems contain mangrove forests and seagrass beds. In addition, the coastal lagoons represent important areas to moderate some natural phenomena.
Coral reefs
These are underwater ecosystems located on shallow coasts. They are of great beauty and colorful like many of the species that are in them. At least 10% of the world's coral species are found in Mexico. They are located in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. At present they are threatened by the contamination of pesticide particles, ship stranding, garbage, uncontrolled tourism, among many more.
As has been observed, there is a rich variety of ecosystems that must be cared for by man, therefore, different decrees and laws have been created for the protection of the environment.
Humanity must recognize that attacking the environment endangers the survival of its own species. In addition to this, awareness must be created in young people and adolescents, in the conservation of the environment, it is here where schools play a fundamental role.
It is important that the different Educational Institutions, through workshops, talks and recreational activities, promote the conservation of the ecosystem either by making use of tools such as the elaboration of models of ecosystems and the presentation of various images of ecosystems.
