Ecosystems: types of ecosystems. Variety of species of natural ecosystems

Ecosystems are unified natural complexes that are formed by a combination of living organisms and their habitat. The study of these formations is carried out by the science of ecology.

The term "ecosystem" appeared in 1935 to be used by the English ecologist A. Tensli. A natural or natural anthropogenic complex in which both living and indirect components are in close interconnection through the metabolism and distribution of the energy flow - all this is included in the concept of "ecosystem". The types of ecosystems are different at the same time. These basic functional units of the biosphere are divided into separate groups and studied by environmental science.

Classification by origin

There are various ecosystems on our planet. The types of ecosystems are classified in a certain way. However, it is impossible to tie together the diversity of these units of the biosphere. That is why there are several classifications of ecological systems. For example, they are distinguished by their origin. It:

1. Natural (natural) ecosystems . These include those complexes in which the circulation of substances is carried out without any human intervention.
2. Artificial (anthropogenic) ecosystems. They are created by man and can exist only with his direct support.

Natural ecosystems

Natural complexes that exist without human participation have their own internal classification. There are the following types of natural ecosystems according to the energy sign:

- are in complete dependence on solar radiation;

- receiving energy not only from the heavenly body, but also from other natural sources.

The first of these two types of ecosystems is unproductive. Nevertheless, such natural complexes are extremely important for our planet, because they exist on huge areas and affect the formation of climate, purify large volumes of the atmosphere, etc.

Natural complexes that receive energy from several sources are the most productive.

Artificial units of the biosphere

Different and anthropogenic ecosystems. The types of ecosystems included in this group include:

- agroecosystems that appear as a result of human farming;

- Technoecosystems arising from the development of industry;

- Urban ecosystems, which are the result of the creation of settlements.

All these are types of anthropogenic ecosystems created with direct human participation.

Variety of natural components of the biosphere

Types and types of ecosystems of natural origin are different. And ecologists allocate them proceeding from climatic and natural conditions of their existence. Thus, there are three groups and a number of different units of the biosphere.

Main types of ecosystems of natural origin:

- ground;

- Freshwater;

- The sea.

Ground-based natural complexes

The variety of terrestrial ecosystem types includes:

- Arctic and Alpine tundra;

- coniferous boreal forests;

- Deciduous massifs of the temperate zone;

- the steppe;

- Savannahs and tropical grasses;

- chaparrali, which are areas with arid summer and rainy winters;

- Deserts (both shrubby and grassy);

- semi-evergreen tropical forests located in areas with pronounced dry and wet seasons;

- tropical evergreen rain forests.

In addition to the main types of ecosystems, there are transitional ones. These are forest-tundra, semi-deserts, etc.

The causes of the existence of different types of natural complexes

By what principle are various natural ecosystems located on our planet? Types of ecosystems of natural origin are located in a particular zone depending on the amount of precipitation and air temperature. It is known that the climate in different parts of the globe has significant differences. However, the annual amount of precipitation is not the same. It can be in the range from 0 to 250 or more millimeters. In this case, precipitation falls either evenly throughout all seasons, or falls in the main share for a certain wet period. The average annual temperature varies on our planet. It can have values from negative values or reach thirty-eight degrees of heat. The constant heating of air masses is also different. It can both have no significant differences during the year, as, for example, at the equator, and constantly change.

Characteristics of natural complexes

The diversity of the types of natural ecosystems of the terrestrial group leads to the fact that each of them has its own distinctive features. Thus, in the tundra, which lies to the north of the taiga, a very cold climate is observed. This area is characterized by a negative average annual temperature and a change in the polar day and night. Summer in these parts lasts only a few weeks. At the same time the land has time to thaw out to a small meter depth. Precipitation in the tundra falls by less than 200-300 millimeters during the year. Because of such climatic conditions, these lands are poor in vegetation, represented by slowly growing lichens, moss, and dwarf or creeping shrubs cranberries and blueberries. Sometimes you can find a dwarf birch.

The fauna is not rich either. It is represented by reindeer, small burrowing mammals, as well as predators such as ermine, Arctic fox and weasel. The world of birds is represented by a polar owl, a snowball and a plover. Insects in the tundra are mostly Diptera. The tundra ecosystem is very vulnerable due to its poor ability to recover.

The taiga is located in the northern regions of America and Eurasia. This ecosystem is characterized by a cold and long winter and numerous precipitation in the form of snow. The plant world is represented by evergreen coniferous massifs, in which fir and spruce, pine and larch grows. Representatives of the animal world - moose and badgers, bears and squirrels, sables and wolverines, wolves and lynxes, foxes and mink. The taiga is characterized by the presence of many lakes and marshes.

The following ecosystems are represented by broadleaved forests. Types of ecosystems of this type are in the east of the United States, in East Asia and in Western Europe. This is the zone of seasonal climate, where the temperature in winter falls below zero, and during the year 750 to 1500 mm of precipitation falls. The plant world of such an ecosystem is represented by such broad-leaved trees as beech and oak, ash and linden. There are shrubs and a powerful grassy layer here. The animal world is represented by bears and moose, foxes and lynxes, squirrels and shrews. Dwell in such an ecosystem of owls and woodpeckers, thrushes and falcons.

The steppe temperate zones are in Eurasia and North America. Their counterparts are the Tuscs in New Zealand, as well as the pampas in South America. The climate in these areas is seasonal. In the summer period, air is heated from moderately warm values to very high. Winter temperatures are negative. During the year 250 to 750 millimeters of precipitation is observed here. The vegetative world of the steppes is represented mainly by turf grasses. Among the animals there are bison and antelope, saigas and ground squirrels, rabbits and marmots, wolves and hyenas.

Chaparals are located in the Mediterranean, as well as in California, Georgia, Mexico and on the southern shores of Australia. These are areas of mild, temperate climate, where precipitation falls from 500 to 700 millimeters during the year. From the vegetation here there are shrubs and trees with evergreen stiff leaves, such as wild pistachios, laurels, etc.

Such ecological systems as savannahs are located in Eastern and Central Africa, South America and Australia. Most of them are in South India. This is a zone of hot and dry climate, where within a year falls from 250 to 750 mm of precipitation. Vegetation is mostly herbaceous grass, only here and there are rare deciduous trees (palms, baobabs and acacias). The animal world is represented by zebras and antelopes, rhinoceroses and giraffes, leopards and lions, vultures, etc. There are many blood-sucking insects such as tsetse fly in these parts .

Deserts occur in parts of Africa, northern Mexico, etc. The climate here is dry, with precipitation less than 250 mm per year. The days in the deserts are hot, and the nights are cold. Vegetation is represented by cacti and rare-bush shrubs with extensive root systems. Among representatives of the animal world, gophers and jerboas, antelopes and wolves are common. It is a fragile ecosystem that easily collapses under the influence of water and wind erosion.

Half-evergreen tropical deciduous forests are found in Central America and Asia. In these zones there is a change of dry and wet seasons. The average annual rainfall is from 800 to 1300 mm. Tropical forests inhabits a rich animal kingdom.

Rainy tropical evergreen forests are found in many corners of our planet. They exist in Central America, in the north of South America, in the central and western part of equatorial Africa, in the coastal regions of northwestern Australia, and also on the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The warm climatic conditions in these regions are not seasonal. The abundant precipitation exceeds the limit of 2500 mm during the year. This system is distinguished by a huge variety of flora and fauna.

The existing natural complexes, as a rule, do not have any clear boundaries. Between them is necessarily a transition zone. It not only interacts populations of different types of ecosystems, but also there are special types of living organisms. Thus, the transition zone includes a greater diversity of representatives of fauna and flora than neighboring territories.

Water natural complexes

These units of the biosphere can exist in fresh water bodies and seas. The first of these include such ecosystems as:

- Lentic - these are reservoirs, ponds, lakes, that is, standing waters;

- Lothic, represented by streams, rivers, springs;

- wetlands in the form of swamps, marsh forests and seaside meadows.

Types of marine ecosystems include:

- pelicological complex - open ocean;

- coastal waters in the continental shelf zone ;

- the area of upwelling, where productive fishing is carried out;

- Straits, coves, estuaries, estuaries;

- deep-water reef zones.

An example of a natural complex

Ecologists distinguish between a wide variety of species of natural ecosystems. Nevertheless, the existence of each of them occurs according to the same scheme. In order to understand deeply the interaction of all living and non-living beings in a unit of the biosphere, let us consider the type of the meadow ecosystem. All microorganisms and animals living here have a direct effect on the chemical composition of air and soil.

Meadow is an equilibrium system that includes various elements. Some of them - macro producers, which are herbaceous vegetation, create organic products of this terrestrial community. Further, the life of the natural complex is carried out at the expense of the biological food chain. Vegetable animals or primary consumers feed on meadow grasses and their parts. These are representatives of the fauna, such as large herbivores and insects, rodents and many species of invertebrates (ground squirrel and hare, partridge, etc.).

Primary consumers go into food secondary, which include carnivorous birds and mammals (wolf, owl, hawk, fox, etc.). Further on, the decomposers are connected to the work. Without them, a complete description of the ecosystem is not possible. Types of many fungi and bacteria and are these elements in the natural complex. Reedents decompose organic products to the mineral state. If the temperature conditions are favorable, the plant remains and dead animals quickly decay into simple compounds. Some of these components contain batteries that are leached and reused. A more stable part of organic remains (humus, cellulose, etc.) decomposes more slowly, feeding the plant world.

Anthropogenic ecosystems

The natural complexes considered above can exist without any human intervention. The situation is completely different in anthropogenic ecosystems. Their connections work only with the direct participation of a person. For example, agroecosystem. The main condition for its existence is not only the use of solar energy, but also the receipt of "subsidies" in the form of a kind of fuel.

Part of this system is similar to the natural one. Similarity with the natural complex is observed during the growth and development of plants, which occurs due to the energy of the Sun. However, farming is impossible without preparing the soil layer and harvesting. And these processes require energy subsidies of human society.

What kind of ecosystems does the city belong to? This is an anthropogenic complex, in which the energy of the fuel is of great importance. Its consumption is two to three times higher than the flux of sunlight. The city can be compared to deep-sea or cave ecosystems. Indeed, the existence of these biogeocenoses largely depends on the intake of substances and energy from the outside.

Urban ecosystems emerged as a result of a historic process called urbanization. Under his influence, the population of the countries left rural areas, creating large settlements. Gradually, cities increasingly strengthened their role in the development of society. At the same time to improve the life of man himself created a complex urban system. This led to some separation of cities from nature and the violation of existing natural complexes. The system of the settlement can be called urban. However, as the industry developed, everything changed somewhat. To which kind of ecosystems does the city in which the plant or factory operate operate? Rather, it can be called industrial-urban. This complex consists of residential areas and territories where objects that produce a variety of products are located. The ecosystem of the city differs from the natural more abundant and, moreover, the poisonous flow of various wastes.

In order to improve his environment, a person creates around his settlements the so-called green belts. They consist of grassy lawns and shrubs, trees and ponds. These small natural ecosystems create organic products that do not play a special role in urban life. For existence, people need food, fuel, water and electricity from the outside.

The process of urbanization has significantly changed the life of our planet. The impact of an artificially created anthropogenic system largely changed the nature of the vast territories of the Earth. At the same time, the city affects not only the zones where the architectural and construction objects themselves are located. It affects vast territories and beyond its borders. For example, with increasing demand for wood products, a person cuts down forest tracts.

In the process of functioning of the city, a variety of substances enter the atmosphere. They pollute the air and change the climatic conditions. In cities, there is cloudiness and less sunlight, more fog and drizzle, and also a little warmer than in the nearby countryside.