Are there different types of ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems can be found in streams, rivers, springs, ponds, lakes, bogs and freshwater swamps. They are subdivided into two classes: those in which the water is nearly stationary, such as ponds, and those in which the water flows, such as creeks. Freshwater ecosystems are home to more than just fish: algae, plankton, insects, amphibians and underwater plants also inhabit them. Marine ecosystems differ from freshwater ecosystems in that they contain saltwater, which usually supports different types of species than does freshwater.

Marine ecosystems are the most abundant types of ecosystems in the word. They encompass not only the ocean floor and surface but also tidal zones, estuaries, salt marshes and saltwater swamps, mangroves and coral reefs. Harris holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Penn State University; she taught high school math for several years and has also worked in the field of instructional design.

Related Articles 10 Examples of a Natural Ecosystem. Forest Ecosystem Classification. Where Are Bogs Located? Different Types of Ecosystems. Where Are the Temperate Zones Located? Deforestation implies the destruction of habitats for many animals and plants. These animals either have to relocate or they will die since they lose their livelihood through the deforestation process.

Soil pollution is another significant danger to our ecosystems. In many industrial processes, harmful by-products and waste are not disposed of and separated in an appropriate manner, which can cause serious soil pollution.

Moreover, through the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, the soil is often polluted with harmful components that can hurt the soil in the long run and make it less fertile.

This in turn may lead to a decrease in plant species since their natural growing conditions have been altered in an adverse manner. Littering can be a problem for our ecosystems if the litter contains harmful or even toxic substances. For example, if people dispose of their used cigarettes in forests or other natural ecological systems, animals may try to eat them and may die or suffer from severe illness because of that.

Moreover, through the incorrect disposal of used cigarettes, many wildfires are started each year and habitats for many animals and plants get destroyed. Illegal dumping is a big ecological problem, especially in poor developing countries where regulatory standards regarding waste disposal are not strict enough.

Industries often just dump their trash in nearby rivers or lakes, which leads to significant water pollution and therefore hurts a big variety of animals, plants and other organisms.

Acid rain can also hurt ecosystems since it alters the acidity level of the soil. Thus, through acid rain, the growth and reproduction behavior of plants may be altered in an adverse manner. Global warming is a big threat to ecological systems, especially for those who depend on steady air and water temperature. Through global warming, many parameters related to the living conditions of organisms are altered.

A rather quick change in average temperatures will likely lead to a decline in biodiversity since animals and plants will not be able to adapt in this short time frame. Water pollution can significantly impact many animals, plants and other organisms which rely on high-quality water. If the water gets polluted, for example through illegal dumping or other industrial processes, many water animals will die because of that.

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.

There is very little plant life or animal life due to the year round high temperatures, low water availability, and intense sunlight. Vegetation is also greatly diminished, comprising of mainly shrubs, bushes, few grasses, and cactus. The stems of these plants have evolved to the point where they can conserve as much water as possible. Only animals to be able to survive in this ecosystem are some bird species, insects, reptiles, and camels, which have all adapted to the desert conditions.

The tundra ecosystem is a tough one to place, but due to its characteristics, it could belong to the desert ecosystem. Tundras are extremely cold, rather than extremely hot.

The ground remains frozen for most of the year. Living organisms and vegetation are also extremely low and the region receives very little rainfall. You can find these ecosystems in both tropical and temperate regions of the world, though the specific ecosystems will vary slightly.

The area mainly consists of grasses, few trees or shrubs, and many grazing mammals and herbivores. There are two main types of grassland ecosystems. Savannas, which are tropical grasslands, but seasonally dry. Picture the movie The Lion King. The other are prairies.

These are temperate grasslands, totally devoid of large shrubs and trees. Mostly all you will find here are mixtures of short and tall grass. The last in the line of sub types of ecosystems is the mountainous regions. Here you will see a scattered and diverse array of habitats that contain a large number of animals and plants.

This is especially apparent the higher up the mountain you go. They are a bit like rainforests, which have a different habitat for each level. With mountains, the higher you go, the colder it gets, which means the type of vegetation and animals that can survive there changes. Lower slopes will be covered with coniferous forests and the common animals that live in a standard climate. All ecosystems have the same components that make it up.

Aquatic ecosystems are no exception. The only difference is the plants and animals that live in these aquatic regions can only survive while in the water. These ecosystems differ in relation to the geographic region where they exist Antarctic, Subarctic, tropical, subtropical and their distance to the land coastal, oceanic, estuarine. The types of living organisms that reside in these ecosystems include fish, amphibians, algae, shellfish and many more. Aquatic ecosystems are among the largest ecosystems.

The following are the different habitats that make up the aquatic ecosystems. Benthic habitats are at the bottom of the ecosystems. In shallower regions, the main inhabitants are algae, whereas in deeper areas, there will be most of the carnivorous fish. Nectonic habitats are in the water currents. Here animals move quickly and freely. Planktonic also live in the water currents but unlike nectonic, they can not move on their own and rely on the currents to move them.

Lastly is neustonic. These are creatures and other organisms that reside on the surface of the water, floating. Just like terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic areas also consist of different types of ecosystems which depend on their land, or seascapes. The wetlands are an area of flat lands that have groundwater of shallow depth that overflow onto the surface frequently. This forms lagoons and marshes. Basically, the environment and climate determine what sorts of animals and plants can inhabit a certain region.

Interactions between plants and animals are also important factors. Broadly speaking, aquatic ecosystems can be broken up into freshwater and saltwater systems. The oceanic zone is the open part of the ocean where pelagic animals, such as whales and tuna, live. The benthic zone is the bottom of the ocean where invertebrates live.

Near-shore ecosystems include the intertidal zone, estuaries, salt marshes, sandy shores, coral reefs, lagoons, and mangrove swamps. Some areas can be really huge, like the open ocean where the flat landscape goes on and on. Some areas are far more constrained, such as a whale fall , which is the ecosystem that forms when a dead whale falls to the sea floor—it provides so much food that a whole ecosystem forms, dependent on the whale carcass.

Marine ecosystems are determined by multiple factors, including temperature, geology, light, location, and tides. The differences in regions of the ocean are so extreme that animals and plants have adapted especially for their area. For example, some sharks can swim long distances in open water, organisms that live near hydrothermal vents needs to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, and deep sea organisms need to live without light and hence without photosynthesis.

Freshwater ecosystems only make up about 0. There are three main types of freshwater ecosystems. Lentic ecosystems are made of slow moving water, like lakes, ponds, and pools.

Lotic ecosystems involve moving water, like streams and rivers.