A balanced ecosystem is Important but why?

Table of Contents

1. What is an Ecosystem?
2. Types of Ecosystem
   • Terrestrial environment
   • Freshwater environment
   • Oceanic marine environment
   • Desert Ecosystem
3. How does the Ecosystem work?
   • Biotic
   • Abiotic
   • Structural and Functional aspect of Ecology
4. Important Ecological Concepts
   • Food Chain
   • Ecological Pyramid
5. Importance of Balanced Ecosystem
6. Impact of Human Activities on the Ecosystem

“Why do we need a balanced ecosystem?” Or “Why ecosystem is important?” – A question that should come to our mind naturally. Is it really important? Before answering this question, It is very essential for us to know some important topics about the Ecosystem. There is a vast network of ecosystems all over the world. From a small reservoir to a vast desert or a huge snow-capped mountain, you find the process of ecosystems. It is also defined as the habitat in which animals, plants and micro-organisms interact with nonliving factors such as landscapes and temperature. Maintaining the flow of materials and energy, a balanced ecosystem is essential. Any kind of waste materials may be used by living organisms but remember that chemical waste is highly dangerous for nature and her ecosystem too.

What is Ecosystem?

The ecosystem is a community system where living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving and all other living components of that environment. Biotic and abiotic factors are linked together in the ecosystem.

Types of Ecosystem

We are going to discuss four broad categories to know the details about ecology.

1. Terrestrial environment
2. Freshwater environment
3. Oceanic marine environment
4. Desert Ecosystem

Terrestrial environment – This environment consists of biomes and based on specific land areas. There is no need for much water for survival than in a marine ecosystem. For respiratory function, animals are dependent on oxygen and plants are dependent on carbon dioxide. Both of these two important gases are found in the fresh air. Further, the Terrestrial environment is the main source of many items to human survival, such as materials for shelter and food and medicine ingredients, etc. For example, several kinds of forests, savannas, deserts, or grasslands.

Freshwater environment – can be found in rivers, springs, streams, ponds and freshwater swamps. Running-water and standing-water habitats are measured as subdivisions of this kind of environment.
Such as – Standing Water habitats – Lakes, reservoirs etc.
Running water habitats – Streams, rivers, ponds etc.
This ecosystem is home to more than just fish and Plankton, algae, insects, amphibians, underwater plants inhabit them.

Oceanic marine environment – Saltwater is the main character of any oceanic marine environment. It is divided broadly into the shallow waters of the continental shelf composing the neritic zone. The deeper waters of the ocean that is introduced as the oceanic region.

Desert ecosystem – Deserts are arid regions. The regions are generally associated with warm temperatures. Desert means not only hot but also many cold deserts exist in this world. Largest desert ecosystem located in Antarctica, the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Modern ecology is now divided into two subdivisions:
• Ecosystem ecology
• Population ecology

In Ecosystem ecology, It views ecosystems as large units and tries to explain the behavior of the ecosystem from the properties of individual units in population ecology.

In practice, scientists merge both of two approaches. Descriptive ecology is important to describe the nature and types of organisms and their environment. Emphasizing structures of ecosystems and communities and dispersions and structures of populations is also possible for it. If you want to know how things work in an ecosystem, including how populations respond to environmental alteration, Functional ecology is for you. Functional ecology also describes how matter and energy move through ecosystems.

Modern ecosystems are now broadly divided into artificial and natural also. It is easy to say the components which exist in nature belong to natural ecosystems. They are further classified into terrestrial and aquatic. We already mention that terrestrial includes grassland, topical, hot desert and temperate rainforest and ponds, river, streams, oceans, etc. included in aquatic. Artificial ecosystems are handmade and subjected to human manipulation and intervention. Such as – crop fields, agricultural land, or a cleaning part of the forest or grassland.

How does a balanced Ecosystem work?

Ecosystem functions include several biochemical cycles. These cycles are related to energy transfer mechanisms. Abiotic and Biotic components are the features of Mother Nature and these components play a very important role in ecosystem functions. If you don’t know about biotic and abiotic features, here’s a short description for you: ‘

Biotic Features: This feature is a component or factor of living organisms in nature. This includes both animals that consume other organisms within their ecosystem and the organism that is being consumed. Producers, Consumers and Decomposers – Scientists sorted into three main categories.

Abiotic Features: Non-living chemical and environmental physical parts are introduced as Abiotic Features. It affects living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems very much. Depending on the abiotic feature, different animal habitats are formed.

Interacting with both of these aspects, several functional terms are applying here to form nature’s ecosystem. Plants, carnivores and herbivores are considered as food chain components. They are all creating a joint together “web of life” on which humans and other species depend. The main power source of any ecosystem comes from the Sun.

Structural and Functional aspect of a balanced Ecosystem:

Structural Aspects:
There are some aspects of an ecosystem using some ingredients or components.
1) Organic Compounds – Carbohydrates, Lipids and Protein. They easily link abiotic to biotic aspects.
2) Producers – Plants.
3) Micro Consumers – Absorbers (Fungi), Saprotrophs.
4) Macro Consumers – Phagotrophs – Large Animals.
5) Inorganic Aspects – Carbon (C ), Nitrogen(N), Carbon Dioxide(CO2), Water ( H2O )
6) Climatic Regimes – Moisture, Light, Topography and Temperature.

Functional Aspects:
1) Evolution
2) Diversity – Inter Linkages between Organisms.
3) Food chains
4) Nutrient cycles – Biogeochemical cycles.
5) Energy cycles.

Important Ecological Concepts

1. Food Chain
   A series of organisms in which each organism feeds on the one below it in the series is called a food chain in an ecosystem.
   The secondary consumer eats the primary consumer and the tertiary consumer eats the secondary consumer and so on. In this process, energy gets transferred from the low consumer to the next higher level of consumer. A series of organisms is followed here and it is recognized as a food chain.

Photo: Fig Forest ecosystem, Food chain in the forest
For example, If we want to look at a forest ecosystem, the grass is eaten by deer and if there are any tigers in that forest, they will eat deers. The grass, deer and tiger together form a food chain here. Here, energy flows from the producer (grass) to the primary consumer (deer) to the secondary consumer (tiger).

Photo: Fig Freshwater ecosystem, Food chain in freshwater

Let’s take a look at another example – in a freshwater, ecosystem of aquatic like a small pond. Algae, small animals, insects, small & big fish and a fish-eating animal or bird are the components of the freshwater ecosystem. Always keep that in mind, the food chain begins with producers. Plant eaters (Herbivores) come next in the chain. Fleas eaters (carnivores) consume them. There is no saying that the food chain ends in three steps, It may extend to the fourth, fifth, or even more order of consumers. So, It can go a long way.

Here, we show some common food chains :
Plants > Deer > Lion.
Plants > Worm – Bird > Cat.
Plants > Grasshopper > Frog > Snake > Hawk.
Algae > Small Animal > Small Fish > Big Fish > Bird.

2. Ecological Pyramid

Ecological Pyramid – a graphical representation of the energy pyramid or food pyramid. It is designed to show the bio productivity at each trophic level.

Photo : Ecological Pyramid

“A pyramid of energy represents how much energy, initially from the sun, is retained or stored in the form of new biomass at each trophic level in an ecosystem. Typically, about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, thus preventing a large number of trophic levels. Energy pyramids are necessarily upright in healthy ecosystems, that is, there must always be more energy available at a given level of the pyramid to support the energy and biomass requirement of the next trophic level.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_pyramid

This pyramid starts with produces (such as plants) on the bottom and proceeds from level to level. The top of the food chain is the highest level of the pyramid.

Importance of Balanced Ecosystem

Photo: Balanced Ecosystem
Ecological balance or Balanced ecosystem – We are now explaining here the most important part of this ecosystem. It is a possible term to describe the equilibrium between living organisms such as plants, animals and human beings as well as their environment. A healthy and desirable ecological balance is possible in harmonious relationships. Environment balance is important also in a balanced ecosystem. Since human beings are considered to be the best creatures of creation, they can play a key role to maintain ecological or environmental balance. If we can show an ecological system has sufficient food for all living organisms and their stability, It clearly reflects the existence of ecological balance. Therefore, The ecological balance is important and essential because it ensures the existence, survival and stability of the environment.

The survival of all organisms or any kind of organism actually depends on balancing the ecosystem. Various species can vanish if they don’t find their exact environment or ecosystems. They need enough food to keep them alive. It must have to be ensured that no particular species is overused or exploited. For example, human development activities or other activities like farming and resource exploitation are now one of the main causes of excessive deforestation. Destruction of forests leads to drought. Drought reduces food production and Insufficient food is its result. Insufficient food leads to starvation and we know, What can happen in the next part! Death occurs for reducing the existence of some species.

In summary, a balanced ecosystem brings the existence of the world for any living organisms. Mother Earth’s inhabitants such as human beings, animals, plants and other macro and micro-living organisms continue to survive. A favorable ecosystem produces sufficient food for all species. Also, we can maintain a green environment which is very important in today’s global warming world. The world achieves the equilibrium state that protects and benefits all living organisms in it.

Impact of Human Activities on Ecosystem

Ecosystem – Humans, like other living organisms on earth, have to rely on this system. A balanced ecosystem is vital for a healthy life. But, unfortunately, most of the development activities are now creating a negative impact on the balance in the ecosystem.

For example, if we want to say – Deforestation, land conversion, overfishing and many more have to do for development projects and nature’s abiotic features like water, soil, air and other things are polluted in most of these projects. The quality of our environment is degrading day by day and It also causes a disruption in the balance in an ecosystem.

However, people realize the danger of the ruined ecosystem. World leaders are trying to discuss together how to improve better in development without damaging our ecosystem. Several good sustainable human activities should be applied for restoring the lost balance in an ecosystem. The mother earth already lost a lot of important species. Biofuels, reforestation, plastic ban, prevention of burning fossil fuel and more can save our days. We must help to adopt practices and our government and social activities in maintaining the balance of the earth’s ecosystem rather than degrading it. Earth is the only planet still now where human beings are wandering.

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