Examples of ecosystem diversity in the following topics:
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- Genetic diversity, ecosystem diversity, and human-derived diversity are measures of biodiversity that currently define life on earth.
- It is also useful to define ecosystem diversity: the number of different ecosystems on the planet or in a given geographic area .
- Whole ecosystems can disappear even if some of the species might survive by adapting to other ecosystems.
- An example of a largely-extinct ecosystem in North America is the prairie ecosystem.
- The variety of ecosystems on earth, from (a) coral reef to (b) prairie, enables a great diversity of species to exist.
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- Ecosystem dynamics is the study of the changes in ecosystem structure caused by environmental disturbances or by internal forces.
- A holistic ecosystem model attempts to quantify the composition, interaction, and dynamics of entire ecosystems.
- A food web is an example of a holistic ecosystem model, which is the most representative of the ecosystem in its natural state.
- A major limitation to these approaches is that removing individual organisms from their natural ecosystem or altering a natural ecosystem through partitioning may change the dynamics of the ecosystem.
- These changes are often due to differences in species numbers and diversity, but also to environment alterations caused by partitioning (mesocosm) or re-creating (microcosm) the natural habitat.
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- The purpose of ecological restoration projects, such as wildlife and ecosystem preserves, is to return ecosystems to pre-disturbance states.
- However, restoration can improve the biodiversity of degraded ecosystems.
- Reducing elk populations has allowed re-vegetation of riparian areas, which has increased the diversity of species in that habitat.
- In this habitat, the wolf is a keystone species: it is a species that is instrumental in maintaining diversity in an ecosystem.
- Removing a keystone species from an ecological community may cause a collapse in diversity.
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- Plant biodiversity, vital to ecosystems, food crops, and medicine production, is threatened by habitat destruction and species extinction.
- Plants play a key role in ecosystems.
- In turn, this threatens the ecosystem.
- Threats to plant diversity, however, come from many angles.
- A real and pressing issue is that many plant species have not yet been cataloged; their place in the ecosystem is unknown.
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- Community ecology studies interactions between different species; abiotic and biotic factors affect these on an ecosystem level.
- These interactions can have regulating effects on population sizes and can impact ecological and evolutionary processes affecting diversity.
- Ecosystem ecology is an extension of organismal, population, and community ecology.
- The ecosystem is composed of all the biotic components (living things) in an area along with that area's abiotic components (non-living things).
- Researchers interested in ecosystem ecology could ask questions about the importance of limited resources and the movement of resources, such as nutrients, though the biotic and abiotic portions of the ecosystem.
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- The diversity of life can be classified within the three major domains (Bacteria, Eukarya and Archaea) using phylogenetic trees.
- The fact that biology, as a science, has such a broad scope has to do with the tremendous diversity of life on Earth.
- The source of this diversity is evolution, the process of gradual change during which new species arise from older species.
- Evolutionary biologists study the evolution of living things in everything from the microscopic world to ecosystems.
- Thus, to examine differences at this molecular level provides a more accurate depiction of the diversity which exists.
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- Conceptual models describe ecosystem structure, while analytical and simulation models use algorithms to predict ecosystem dynamics.
- For example, in a terrestrial ecosystem near a deposit of coal, carbon will be available to the plants of this ecosystem as carbon dioxide gas in a short-term period, not from the carbon-rich coal itself.
- Since human impact can greatly and rapidly alter the species content and habitat of an ecosystem, it is crucial for scientists to develop models that predict how ecosystems respond to these changes.
- However, their accuracy is limited by their simplification of complex ecosystems.
- Conceptual models are useful for describing ecosystem structure, but are limited by their poor prediction of ecosystem changes.
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- Humans rely on technology to modify their environment and replace certain functions that were once performed by the natural ecosystem.
- Elimination of their ecosystem - whether it is a forest, a desert, a grassland, a freshwater estuary, or a marine environment - will kill the individuals within most species.
- Sustainability is a concept that describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.
- Healthy ecosystems and environments are necessary for the survival and flourishing of humans and other organisms, and there are a number of ways to reduce humans' negative impact on the environment.
- Sustainable practices, which preserve environments for long-term maintenance and well-being, can help preserve habitats and ecosystems for greater biodiversity.
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- The post-Cambrian era was characterized by animal evolution and diversity where mass extinctions were followed by adaptive radiations.
- Changes in the environment often create new niches (living spaces) that contribute to rapid speciation and increased diversity.
- On the other hand, cataclysmic events, such as volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes that obliterate life, can result in devastating losses of diversity.
- Changes in animal species diversity during the late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic were also promoted by a dramatic shift in earth's geography, as continental plates slid over the crust into their current positions, leaving some animal groups isolated on islands and continents or separated by mountain ranges or inland seas from other competitors.
- Early in the Cenozoic, new ecosystems appeared, with the evolution of grasses and coral reefs.
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- The animal kingdom is very diverse, but animals share many common characteristics, such as methods of development and reproduction.
- Since then, animals have evolved into a highly-diverse kingdom.
- Although over one million extant (currently living) species of animals have been identified, scientists are continually discovering more species as they explore ecosystems around the world.
- Understanding and classifying the great variety of living species help us better understand how to conserve the diversity of life on earth.
- Even though members of the animal kingdom are incredibly diverse, most animals share certain features that distinguish them from organisms in other kingdoms.