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Humans and Ecosystems - Coggle Diagram
Humans and Ecosystems
Ecosystem
What is it?
Community of different species that interact
Functional unit of sustainable life on earth
Classification
Classifying the planet's ecosystems has been difficult
even for the greatest ecologists in history.
However the most general classifications are
Terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, mixed ecosystems (water-land) and air-ground (air-land), Modified landscape artificial or non-natural ecosystems (created by humans).
Abiotic
Lifeless chemical and physical components
affect dead organisms and ecosystem functioning
They are classified according to their nature, into physical (sunlight, temperature, atmospheric pressure, climate, relief).
and chemical (pH, soil chemistry, air chemistry and water chemistry).
Biotic
Living organisms that influence an ecosystem.
have behavioral and physiological characteristics
that allow survival and reproduction
fungi and microorganisms are also included.
Flow of energy and nutrients in ecosystems
What is energy flow?
Use of primary and secondary products
All living things need energy,
they need it to drive life processes.
For example, it takes energy to grow. It also takes energy to create offspring. In fact, it takes energy just to stay alive.
What is the nutrient flow?
Thanks to the interactions between different species
the nutrients run out, they move,
and are reused thus fulfilling a cycle.
There are some nutrients of special importance, which are:
Water, Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Hydrogen.
name given to the entire food chain
Trophic levels
matching sets of species in an ecosystem
occupy an equivalent place in the food chain
by the position or shift they occupy, in the flow of energy and nutrients,
Human-dominated ecosystems
Characteristic
human-dominated ecosystems tend to be simpler
have fewer species and fewer community interactions
Advantage
There is awareness of preserving natural communities
some farmers are turning to organic farming.
Disadvantages
The first animals to disappear
dependent on non-renewable energy
human ecosystems tend to remove nutrients.
Undominated ecosystems
Characteristic
There is probably way to restore ecosystems
drastically reduce pollution
Benefits
Tend to store water and purify it
natural ecosystems recycle nutrients
many species and tend to remain stable
What is it?
it is a 'virgin land' or a natural ecosystem
has never had
a human intervention
perfect for practicing scientific studies
Habitat destruction
Definition
Natural habitat transformed into incapable habitat
plants and animals are forced to migrate
or to disappear
As a consequence there is a reduction in biodiversity.
Causes
Agriculture is the main cause
mining, logging, overfishing and urban proliferation.
This includes habitat fragmentation, geological processes, climatic changes, invasive species, nutrient disturbances, and human activities.
Effects
The carrying capacity of organisms is limited
This leads to a decline in populations
and even to extinction
The greatest risk facing species around the world is habitat loss
