A guide to
ECOSYSTEM
ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem is a region where a
bubble of life is created by plants,
animals, and other organisms
interacting with the weather,
environment, and other factors.
Abiotic variables, or nonliving
components, coexist with biotic
components in ecosystems.
Plants, animals, and other species
are biotic factors.
ECOSYSTEMS
The atmosphere, sunlight, water, soil, animals, living organisms,
non-living organisms, etc. all together make an ecosystem in a
specific natural setting.
Let’s say, for example – Aquatic ecosystems: where all the water
animals/mammals, micro-organisms, non-living things, etc. survive
together underwater.
In the terrestrial ecosystem the land animals and the environment
around them make a different ecosystem suitable for them.
The sun is termed as the primary source of energy, as it is primarily
required to flow an ecosystem. This energy flows from one
organism to another in the form of a food chain.
HUMAN ECOSYSTEM
Ecologists and other researchers are
increasingly using conceptual models to
examine the ecological aspects of human
communities in a way that integrates
multiple factors, such as economics,
sociopolitical organisation,psychological
factors, and physical factors related to the
environment. These models are viewed as
complex cybernetic systems that represent
human-dominated ecosystems of the
anthropocene era.
Human environed unit (an individual
or group of humans), environment,
interactions, and transactions between
and within the components are the
three main structuring ideas of a
human ecosystem. Three conceptually
separate but connected contexts are
included in the overall environment:
the natural, human-constructed, and
human behavioural environments.
These ecosystems serve as a system that
supports life by providing the resources
and conditions required for it.
HUMAN IMPACTS AND
RESILIENCE
what are
Human Impacts ?
THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE
HUMAN ACTIVITY IMPACTS UPON
AND IS ALSO DEPENDENT UPON
THE RESILIENCE OF TERRESTRIAL,
AQUATIC AND MARINE
ECOSYSTEMS. THESE INCLUDE
AGRICULTURE, DEFORESTATION,
POLLUTION, MINING, RECREATION,
OVERFISHING, DUMPING OF WASTE
INTO THE SEA AND CLIMATE
CHANGE.
SOME IMPACTS ARE-
Agriculture-
However, as a result of agricultural intensification and the application of
herbicides to control weeds, fertilizers to accelerate and increase crop growth
and pesticides to control insects, plant biodiversity is reduced as is the supply
of organic matter to replenish soil nutrients and prevent surface runoff.
This leads to a reduction in soil fertility and productivity. More sustainable
agricultural practices would take into account and estimate the resilience of
the land and monitor and balance the input and output of organic matter.
Deforestation-
Deforestation also decreases biodiversity of both plant and animal life and can
lead to an alteration of the climatic conditions of an entire area. According to
the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, carbon emissions due to land use changes
predominantly come from deforestation, thereby increasing the long-term
exposure of forest ecosystems to drought and other climate change-induced
damages. Deforestation can also lead to species extinction, which can have a
domino effect particularly when keystone species are removed or when a
significant number of species is removed and their ecological function is lost.
Climate Change-
Climate resilience is defined as the "capacity of social, economic and
ecosystems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance".
This is done by "responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain
their essential function, identity and structure (as well as biodiversity
in case of ecosystems) while also maintaining the capacity for
adaptation, learning and transformation". The key focus of increasing
climate resilience is to reduce the climate vulnerability that
communities, states, and countries currently have with regards to the
m a n y e f f e c t s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e. C u r r e n t l y , c l i m a t e r e s i l i e n c e e f f o r t s
encompass social, economic, technological, and political strategies
that are being implemented at all scales of society.
Overfishing-
It has been estimated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization that over 70% of the world's fish stocks are either fully
exploited or depleted which means overfishing threatens marine
ecosystem resilience and this is mostly by rapid growth of fishing
technology. One of the negative effects on marine ecosystems is that
over the last half-century the stocks of coastal fish have had a huge
reduction as a result of overfishing for its economic benefits. Blue fin
tuna is at particular risk of extinction. Depletion of fish stocks results
in lowered biodiversity and consequently imbalance in the food chain,
and increased vulnerability to disease.
WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL
RESILIENCE
IN ECOLOGY, RESILIENCE IS THE CAPACITY OF AN
ECOSYSTEM TO RESPOND TO A PERTURBATION OR
DISTURBANCE BY RESISTING DAMAGE AND RECOVERING
QUICKLY. SUCH PERTURBATIONS AND DISTURBANCES CAN
INCLUDE STOCHASTIC EVENTS SUCH AS FIRES, FLOODING,
WINDSTORMS, INSECT POPULATION EXPLOSIONS, AND
HUMAN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DEFORESTATION, FRACKING
OF THE GROUND FOR OIL EXTRACTION, PESTICIDE
SPRAYED IN SOIL, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF EXOTIC
PLANT OR ANIMAL SPECIES. DISTURBANCES OF
SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE OR DURATION CAN PROFOUNDLY
AFFECT AN ECOSYSTEM AND MAY FORCE AN ECOSYSTEM
TO REACH A THRESHOLD BEYOND WHICH A DIFFERENT
REGIME OF PROCESSES AND STRUCTURES PREDOMINATES.
WHEN SUCH THRESHOLDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A
CRITICAL OR BIFURCATION POINT, THESE REGIME SHIFTS
MAY ALSO BE REFERRED TO AS CRITICAL TRANSITIONS.
DEFINITION
OF RESILIENCE
The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report defines resilience as, “not just the
ability to maintain essential function, identity and structure, but also
the capacity for transformation.” The IPCC considers resilience both
in terms of ecosystem recovery as well as the recovery and adaptation
of human societies to natural disasters.
The concept of resilience in ecological systems was first introduced by
the Canadian ecologist C.S. Holling in order to describe the
persistence of natural systems in the face of changes in ecosystem
variables due to natural or anthropogenic causes. Resilience has been
defined in two ways in ecological literature:
1. AS THE TIME REQUIRED FOR AN ECOSYSTEM TO RETURN TO AN EQUILIBRIUM
OR STEADY-STATE FOLLOWING A PERTURBATION (WHICH IS ALSO DEFINED AS
STABILITY BY SOME AUTHORS). THIS DEFINITION OF RESILIENCE IS USED IN
OTHER FIELDS SUCH AS PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING, AND HENCE HAS BEEN
TERMED ‘ENGINEERING RESILIENCE’ BY HOLLING.
2. AS "THE CAPACITY OF A SYSTEM TO ABSORB DISTURBANCE AND REORGANIZE
WHILE UNDERGOING CHANGE SO AS TO STILL RETAIN ESSENTIALLY THE SAME
FUNCTION, STRUCTURE, IDENTITY, AND FEEDBACKS".
THE SECOND DEFINITION HAS BEEN TERMED ‘ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE’, AND IT
PRESUMES THE EXISTENCE OF MULTIPLE STABLE STATES OR REGIMES.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOME SHALLOW TEMPERATE LAKES CAN EXIST WITHIN EITHER
CLEAR WATER REGIME, WHICH PROVIDES MANY ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, OR A
TURBID WATER REGIME, WHICH PROVIDES REDUCED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND
CAN PRODUCE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS. THE REGIME OR STATE IS DEPENDENT UPON
LAKE PHOSPHORUS CYCLES, AND EITHER REGIME CAN BE RESILIENT DEPENDENT
UPON THE LAKE'S ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT.
LIKEWISE, MULGA WOODLANDS OF AUSTRALIA CAN EXIST IN A GRASS-RICH
REGIME THAT SUPPORTS SHEEP HERDING, OR A SHRUB-DOMINATED REGIME OF
NO VALUE FOR SHEEP GRAZING. REGIME SHIFTS ARE DRIVEN BY THE INTERACTION
OF FIRE, HERBIVORY, AND VARIABLE RAINFALL. EITHER STATE CAN BE RESILIENT
DEPENDENT UPON MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU!
