What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather
and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic or living, parts, as well
as abiotic factors, or nonliving parts. ... Ecosystems can be very large or very small.

Features of Ecosystem:

An ecosystem possesses the main features as given below;

1. Ecosystem, related to particular place and time, represents the sum of all-natural organisms whether
living or non-living of that area.

2. The organization of ecosystem includes three factors;

(a) energy factors;

(b) biotic factors; and

(c) abiotic factors.

3. Ecosystem has a certain spatial dimension and relates itself with a certain space or land surface.

4. Ecosystem is studied in terms of time units that relates it to temporal dimension.

5. There are interactions between the organizational factors- energy, biotic and abiotic.

6. Ecosystem is an open and automatic system where all segments of the environment participate in the
investment process of inputs and the output. (vii) There is no any mismanagement in the entire
ecological system. Its all parts work within their limits in a balanced way.

7. Ecosystem is a natural source management and a monistic concept (hypothetical concept).

8. The whole ecosystem is undertaken from the energy of different type, but the solar energy is most
important.
Types of ecosystem? Discuss?

There are many types of ecosystems, but two main classes can be distinguished:

a. Terrestrial. These ecosystems are classified as:

. Tropical humid forest. It has abundant amounts of water, humidity and high temperatures.
. Prairie. The climatic and geographical conditions are suitable for the exploitation of livestock.
. Mountain. Very harsh climatic conditions tend to prevail at high altitudes, where only alpine t-
ype vegetation survives.
Desert.  It has a low amount of water and high temperatures.
Polo. Also known as cold desert for its extreme conditions with very low temperatures.

b. Aquatic. These ecosystems are classified as:

 Fresh water. In them live fish, amphibians, algae, underwater plants, insects,

among others. They can be from stationary water (like ponds) or running and
flowing water (like streams).
 Of salty water. They are marine ecosystems and they are the most abundant on
the planet. It ranges from the bottom of the oceans to the tidal zones, swamps and
coral reefs.
 Urban. These ecosystems were altered or created by man and are composed of
microorganisms, animals and plants, which have adapted to share the same soil
and climate.

How can we conserve our ecosystem?

We could essentially help conservations on our ecosystem through strict implementations of rules,
enforcement of laws and guidelines and the adoption of a holistic approach involving perpetual forest
cover. We could however eventually achieve specific nature conservation goals, including soil protective
functions by specific guidelines limiting timber exploitation; for example, limits on the use of exotic
species, fertilizer application, harvesting methods, drainage practices.
Establish linkages and networks among other line agencies and other regional networks of
protected areas consisting of various networks functions including some non-intervention areas to
adopt specific strategies for physical protective functions such as prevention of erosion,
conservation of water supplies, visual aspects and capture of pollutants.