Ecology and Biodiversity

An Ecosystem and Its Components



An ecosystem is the community of biotic and abiotic components that interact to resource in the attainment of specific goals. Biotic factors include of the living organisms while the abiotic elements are the nonliving components of the ecosystem, which vary drastically from one region to the other. The biotic factors decorate the similarity of the ecosystem while the abiotic factors are the predominant causes of the differences in the biota of quite a number regions in the world.



Biodiversity in the Ecosystem



One of the primary traits of the ecosystem is biodiversity, which consists of plants, animals, and decomposers. In the ecosystem, producers are the green plants that have one of a kind sizes, and all of them make their food through the technique of photosynthesis (Paris 133).



Producers and Their Importance



An examination of the ecosystem indicates that plants bear similar features for all regions because they make their food. Also, the ecosystems in the various areas are identical due to the presence of herbivores, organisms that feed on the green plants. Herbivores are the primary consumers in the ecosystem as they directly feed on the producers. Apart from the herbivores, another biotic factor in the ecosystem that significantly contributes to the similarity of different surroundings is the feeding traits of the carnivores. All carnivores depend on herbivores for food hence making the ecosystems of various regions similar. Some of the prevalent carnivores in the ecosystem include hyenas, lions, and jackals, among others. The ecosystem also consists of the omnivores, organisms that feed on both plants and animals (Paris 133). Some of the omnivores in the environment include man, pigs, and baboons, among others. An analysis of the omnivores and herbivores indicates that they enhance the similarity of the ecosystems of various regions by feeding on other consumers thus constitutes the secondary level of the trophic pyramid. The final biotic factor that significantly contributes to the similarity of ecosystems is the tertiary consumers, which are mostly decomposers. In reality, decomposers are at the apex of the trophic pyramid.



Abiotic Factors and Their Influence



As previously discussed in this essay, biotic factors possess feeding characteristics that are similar in all the ecosystems. However, abiotic factors significantly contribute to the differences in the biota in different regions. Sunlight is one of the leading abiotic factors that significantly lead to the differences in the plants and animals in the various areas (Chiras 55). Specifically, the variations in sunlight intensity in particular regions prompt photosynthetic organisms to develop different morphology. Water or humidity also significantly contributes to the differences in the traits that the biotic factors exhibit. Notably, plants in the wetlands have large leaves as a way of adapting to the plentiful water while trees in the desserts become deciduous or develop thorn-like structures to minimize the loss of water through transpiration. The third abiotic factor that significantly contributes to the differences in the biota of various regions is the mineral composition of soils and waters in particular areas. Scholars have discovered that due to the differences in the mineral composition of soils, the components of the ecosystem, consumers and producers develop different adaptive characteristics (Chiras 55). Also, the variance in temperatures of various regions immensely contributes to the change in the behaviors of the biotic components.



Conclusion



As discussed in this essay, the fundamental traits that ecosystems exhibit result from the features of the biotic factors such as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, while the abiotic factors significantly change the biota in different regions. Some of the abiotic factors that contribute to the differences in ecosystems include sunlight, temperature, and water.



Works Cited



Chiras, D. Daniel. Environmental Science: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011. Print



Paris, Stephanie. Academic Vocabulary Level 4--Consumers and Producers: Teacher Created Materials, 2014. Print

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