How many ecosystem

In: Shugart HH ed Time series and ecological processes. Fischlin A, Baltensweiler W Systems analysis of the larch bud moth system. Part I: the larch-larch bud moth relationship. Friedmann EI Endolithic microorganisms in the Antarctic cold desert. Polarforschung — PubMed Google Scholar. Good R The geography of the flowering plants, 4th edn. Longman, London Google Scholar. Westview, Boulder Google Scholar.

In: Llano GA ed Antarctic terrestrial biology. Margalef R Perspectives in ecological theory. May RM Stability and complexity in model ecosystems. Chapman and Hall, London, pp — Google Scholar. Palmer RJ, Friedmann EI Water relations and photosynthesis in the cryptoendolithic habitat of hot and cold deserts.

Richards BN The microbiology of terrestrial ecosystems. The taiga land area supports a large population of conifers, particularly spruce and fir. Lakes, bogs and marshes punctuate the landscape. There are fewer types of plants and animals than in the temperate forest. Long, snowy winters set the stage for hibernating mammals and migrating birds. The tundra lies at extreme latitudes where trees grow little or not at all. Cold winter creates a layer of permafrost under the soil.

The growing season is short, producing little except moss, lichens and some grasses and annuals which support Caribou and insects. Birds raise their young in the summer before migrating. The chaparral may receive up to 30 inches of rainfall annually, mostly during the winter. Plants lie dormant during its dry summers. The chaparral is found in California. Trees are mostly oaks. Overpopulation implies severe consequences for many ecological systems.

If the number of people on our planet is growing, this implies that we need more areas for housing. These areas had been previously used by nature, which implies a destruction of habitats. Moreover, we need more areas for farming in order to ensure our worldwide supply with food, which also leads to a destruction of habitats.

A higher number of people usually also implies more waste and higher pollution, which also hurts many ecosystems. To prevent adverse impacts on our ecosystems, governments have to set strict regulations regarding several kinds of pollutions and also regarding the destruction of habitats.

We have to ensure that there is enough recreational space for nature to recover from human interventions. We also have to make sure that endangered species are protected by law and that there are high fines for killing or collecting those species. It is therefore crucial to set strict climate goals and to punish countries that do not care or are not able to reach these goals. Illegal dumping is a serious problem, especially in developing countries with a low level of control instances and low fines for illegal dumping.

We have to make sure that illegal dumping is punished more rigorously so that companies have a big incentive to refrain from dumping their waste in rivers and lakes.

Through higher fines, we can mitigate the extent of illegal dumping and also the implied adverse effects for our ecosystems. Governments should also make sure that there is enough incentive for companies to develop sophisticated environmentally-friendly technologies. This may come in the form of financial subsidies for companies that make substantial efforts in this direction.

By giving companies a financial incentive to research for eco-friendly technologies, we can improve our worldwide ecological footprint and can improve the natural conditions for our ecological systems. Governments in the affected countries have to act in a much stricter way to fight deforestation and illegal logging. For instance, the Amazon rainforest is an ecological system that is the home for a vast number of animals and plants.

Thus, it is crucial to stop deforestation and therefore to protect the habitats of a variety of animals and plants. The restoration of ecosystems is another measure in order to improve the living conditions of several animals, plants and other organisms. However, restoring whole ecosystems can be quite difficult since it is not easy to restore natural living conditions. Therefore, the focus should lie on the protection of ecosystems rather than on restoration of habitats which can only be seen as supplementary measure.

Our consumption behavior also contributes to the destruction of ecosystems since for the production of material goods, resources have to be extracted out of the ground which in turn destroys natural habitats. Moreover, the production process implies several kinds of pollution, which can also hurt many ecosystems. Only with intact ecosystems, we will be able to grow enough food to supply enough energy for a growing world population.

Moreover, the global warming process can only be mitigated if we save our forest ecosystems since they naturally store harmful greenhouse gases. Governments all over the world have to work together to fight global warming in an efficient manner so that we can prevent the destruction of many ecological systems and therefore the destruction of the livelihood of many people.

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. Most coral reef ecosystems will bounce back from collapse. As ocean temperature cools and retains more salt, the brightly colored corals return.