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The Concept of the Ecosystem |
 Concept of Ecosystem Worksheet |
| Defining an Ecosystem |
An ecosystem is a natural unit in which the life-cycle of plants, animals and other organisms are linked to each other and to the non-living constituents of the environment to form a natural system. Geography An Integrated Approach Third Edition: An Integrated Approach (Geography S.) An ecosystem is a system of organisms functioning together with their non-living environment. Although ecosystems appear to be classified in discrete units, they are always open rather than closed. Ecosystems and Human Activity (A-level Geography) An ecosystem, a contraction of "ecological" and "system", refers to the collection of components and processes that comprise, and govern the behaviour of, some defined subset of the biosphere. The term is generally understood to refer to all biotic and abiotic components, and their interactions with each other, in some defined area, with no conceptual restrictions on how large or small that area can be. Wikipedia. An ecosystem is a biotic community together with its physical environment, considered as an integrated unit. Implied within this definition is the concept of a structural and functional whole unified through life processes. An ecosystem may be characterized as a viable unit of community and interactive habitat. Ecosystems are hierarchical and can be viewed as nested sets of open systems in which physical, chemical, and biological processes form interactive subsystems. Some ecosystems are microscopic and the largest comprises the biosphere. US Army Corps of Engineers. |
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| Ecosystems at Different Scales and as a System |
Please have patience while this Flash file loads. |
| Niche |
| For a species to maintain its population, its individuals must survive and reproduce. Certain combinations of environmental conditions are necessary for individuals of each species to tolerate the physical environment, obtain energy and nutrients, and avoid predators. The total requirements of a species for all resources and physical conditions determine where it can live and how abundant it can be at any one place within its range. These requirements are termed abstractly the ecological niche. PhysicalGeography.net. |
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Ecological Niche |
| Biome |
| A large, relatively distinct terrestrial region, encompassing many interacting ecosystems, and characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where it occurs on Earth. |
Definitive list of Biomes for IB Geography Students |
Tundra |
Taiga (Coniferous Forest, Boreal Forest) |
Temperate Deciduous Forest |
Temperate Grassland |
Chaparral and/or Evergreen Hardwood (Mediterranean) |
Desert |
Tropical Rainforest |
Savanna Grasslands |
Other Biomes (Ice, Mountains, Monsoon Forest, Semi-Arid, Oceans) |
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 Global Biome Map as a Google Earth Overlay |
| The World Map of Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification shows the different types of climate you will find across the globe. The classification is based upon Main Climate, Precipitation and Temperature. |
Click on the map to view a larger version |
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