...Ecosystem Concept Annalise Martinez SCI/256 April 15, 2013 Elizabeth Stevens Ecosystem Components Paper An Ecosystem is “an ecological community and its local, non-biological community. An ecosystem is the minimum system that includes and sustains life. It must include at least an autotroph, a decomposer, a liquid medium, a source and sink of energy, and all the chemical elements required by the autotroph and the decomposer” (Botkin & Keller, 2011, chapter 1.1). Texas has many ecosystems throughout the state from the panhandle to the Gulf Coast. Living along the Gulf Coast an ecosystem close to my community would be Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay as an Ecosystem Galveston Bay is a semi-enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers and bayous mixes with salt water from the Gulf of Mexico and this is known as an estuary. According to "Galveston Bay Estuary Program" (2003-2004),” Estuaries are one of the planet's most productive and important ecosystems. Estuaries like Galveston Bay are "nature's nurseries." The bay nurtures juvenile shrimp, oysters, crabs, and fin fish. Without a well-functioning estuary, there would be little local seafood in restaurants, recreational and commercial...
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...oyster population of the Navesink and Shrewsbury estuary was a key component to the environment, biological health of the waterways and important economic component of the regions early development. The loss of this key element of the healthy estuary ecosystem has negatively impacted the environment through the absence of the oysters filtering capabilities and habitat development from oyster reefs and a healthy and thriving oyster population. The proposed reintroduction of the native oyster population to the Navesink and Shrewsbury estuary where the species is a basically extinct due to overharvesting, poor resource management and pollution will result in improved water quality, biodiversity and the overall environment...
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...Estuary Abiotic Factors Physical Environment: An estuary is rarely deep, never exceeding more than 100ft. Because estuaries do not occur in any particular latitude temperature, precipitation, and sunlight varies greatly. Water flows from inland to the ocean. Chemical Environment: Estuaries contain brackish water, which is a mix of fresh and salt water. The salinity is never more than in normal ocean water, and decreases the further inland you go. Compounds that reach the ocean by runoff are present in estuaries. Geologic Features: An estuary is semi-enclosed, with the ocean at one end and a river on the other. Estuaries are not affected by the seasons. Biotic Factors Producers include, algae, phytoplankton, spike grass, cordgrass, sea grass, purple loosestrife, sea lavender, and other aquatic plants. Consumers include many different birds, fish, crustaceans, bivalves, and microscopic organisms. Estuaries are very vulnerable to runoff from nearby farms. Many estuaries have experienced great human impact from the widening of the mouth, where the estuary meets the sea, to allow ships to pass through. This causes erosion and higher salinity within the ecosystem. Invasive species include purple loosestrife, which suppresses native species, and Asian clams, which cover the riverbed and clog pipes. Policy The Estuary Protection Act highlighted the values of estuaries and the need to conserve their natural resources. It authorized the Secretary...
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...Chesapeake Bay Ecosystems The Chesapeake Bay is near and dear to me for a variety of reasons. First, that is near where I grew up and now that I don't live there I have a major appreciation for the natural ecosystem there and secondly, as a seafood and more importantly oyster lover I realize that many of the oysters that I eat come from there. The Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem houses all types of shell fish such as perch, croaker, and anchovies but primarily oysters. Being the largest estuarine system in the United States, the importance of maintaining that ecosystem is at an all time high. The EPA reports that over half of the fresh water entering the estuarine in the Middle Atlantic Region. (epa.gov, 2014) There have been a decrease in the ecosystems ability to maintain the native oyster population due to several reasons. Over fishing has been one of the causes of this. (Cerco, 2005)Other causes include but are not limited to disease and the destruction of the habitat. Additionally, the increased population growth rate, heightened sewage dumping, and further development of agricultural lands have had its fair share in the blame as well. In 1975, the EPA cited that the Chesapeake Bay became the Nation's first estuary to be targeted for protection and restoration. (EPA.gov, 2014) Due to the fact that 25% of our shellfish comes from the Chesapeake Bay, I say again that this is a major concern. As we think about some of the nutrients that play a role in the survival...
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...LAB 9B 1. Scroll down the CBOFS website and click on now-cast under the water level icon. The water level animation which appears displays the most recent water levels in local time at a [ (1) (2) (3) ]-hour interval. 2. Water levels are reported in the animation relative to the MLLW in feet and are color coded in the animation with the lowest water levels (indicating low tide) most likely represented by [ (green to red) (blues and purples) ]. 3. The animation shows the tides moving through the estuary [ ( towards) ( away from) ] the mouth of the bay. Figure 2 shows water level changes during one tide’s journey through the Bay. 4. The times shown below the maps, indicate it probably took about [ (3) (6) (12) ] hours for the low tide to travel the entire length of the Bay. 5. In figure 2, mark the location of Kiptopeke ( Beach), VA, on the map to the left at 37.1 degrees N, 76.0 degree W (or you can find the location on the CBOFS website map). It is [ (northwest) (northeast) ]. 6. The comparison of the 0600 25 April Water level now-cast map in figure 2 with the predicted and observed water levels in figure 3 for the same time are consistent on showing the presence of a [ (low) (high) ] tide in the mouth of the bay. 7. Knowing the direction of movement of tides in Chesapeake Bay as seen in the water levels Now-cast animation, figure 2 reveals that this tide (identified in item 6) progressed about [ (half) (the entire length) ] of the bay in the subsequent five hours...
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...I found the highest number of L. polyphemus in the Main Lagoon, although the difference in the number found in the Main Lagoon and Moon Pond was not statistically significant. The Main Lagoon seems to have favorable environmental conditions for horseshoe crabs, as it is the sub-basin with the largest area for them to inhabit, and it has the deepest water. However, not a lot of information is known about the habitat preferences and requirements of horseshoe crabs. Because they can tolerate and cope with a wide range of environmental conditions, especially temperature and salinity, adults are classified as environmental generalists (Sekiguchi & Shuster, 2011). Horseshoe crabs have been encountered in water greater than 200 meters, but studies suggest that adults prefer depths less than 30 meters (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, n.d.). Adult L. polyphemus are exclusively subtidal, except during the times they go to shore to spawn (ASMFC, n.d.). Spawning adults prefer sandy beach areas within bays and coves that are protected by wave energy (Smith et al. 2002; Jackson et al. 2002; Landi et al. 2015), and return several times during the spawning season (FWS, 2009). Horseshoe crabs generally inhabit areas adjacent to spawning beaches while spawning (FWS, 2009), and the Main Lagoon has an abundance of sandy beaches available for spawning during the spring and summer months. Moon Pond had the second highest abundance of individuals. However of the 22 individuals found in...
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... The dominant forest type around Jug Bay is of deciduous forest. This province comprises the flat and irregular Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains down to the sea. Well over 50 percent of the area is gently sloping. The climate regime is equable, with a small to moderate annual temperature range. Average annual temperature is 60 to 70F. Rainfall is abundant and well distributed throughout the year; precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 in per year. Mild rainforest is run of the mill in this region. The broad beach front bogs and inside bogs are overwhelmed by gum and cypress. Soils are chiefly Ultisols, and Entisols. Estuaries are home to exceptional plant and creature groups that have adjusted to salty water. Container Bay backings and holds a wide assortment of untamed life and species. Container Bay is one of three locales which makes up the Chesapeake Bay estuary. These tributaries are a critical part of the general wellbeing of the Chesapeake Bay biological system. The essential point of this trek was to examine the natural life found in the Jug Bay region and record information about it. Description of Methods/Procedure: Though out the day we went and investigated two different plots and explored the wetlands. In the two plots we went to, we had to research the wildlife to decide if the plot was a young forest, a mature forest, or a climax forest. We used a number of tools to measure out a 10 by 10, square plot, and then we proceeded to measure and count the number...
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...WHAT IS ECOSYSTEM An ecosystem consists of the biological community that occurs in some locale, and the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living or abiotic environment. There are many examples of ecosystems -- a pond, a forest, an estuary, grassland. The study of ecosystems mainly consists of the study of certain processes that link the living, or biotic, components to the non-living, or abiotic, components. Energy transformations and ecosystem components are the two main topics that comprise the field of ecosystem ecology. COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM ABIOTIC COMPONENTS | BIOTIC COMPONENTS | Sunlight | Primary producers | Temperature | Herbivores | Precipitation | Carnivores | Water or moisture | Omnivores | Soil or water chemistry (e.g., P, NH4+) | Detritivores | etc. | etc. | These include the non-living, physico - chemical factors such as air, water, soil and the basic elements and compounds of the environment. Abiotic factors are broadly classified under three categories. Climatic factors which include the climatic regime and physical factors of the environment like light, humidity, atmospheric temperature, wind, etc. Edaphic factors which are related to the structure and composition of soil including its physical and chemical properties, like soil and its types, soil profile, minerals, organic matter, soil water, soil organisms. It comprises the living part of the environment, which includes the association of a number of interrelated...
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...Professor Obenson Colorado Technical University August 20, 2014 An ecosystem is a biological community in which locale, physical, and chemical factors play a major role in the make-up of the biotic and abiotic environment. They can range from ponds, forests, estuaries, or grasslands. Some ecosystems are more complex than others depending on where they are located. Some have similar characteristics and some are different in many ways such as the abiotic and biotic components or the region it is located in. Grasslands for example have different names because of the region they are located, for example, grasslands known as prairies are located in the United States. There are two types of grasslands, temperate and tropical. Grasslands in the United States are temperate and typically found in the mid-west. The grasslands known as prairies are more useful to humans agriculturally due to them having two seasons. These grasslands get between 10 to 30 inches of rain per year which is good for vegetation purposes. That is known as a grasslands growing season. When the weather starts to get cold and dry, that is known as the grasslands dormant season which is when nothing grows and the grasses and plants start to die. Many of the grasslands in North America have been turned into farmlands. Grasslands have many abiotic and biotic components. Abiotic components are non-living things that affect the ecosystem. These components are sunlight, water, heat, temperature, climate, and...
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...seabirds; protect nesting and foraging conditions for threatened or endangered species” The Bolsa Chica Conservancy (BCC) is a local volunteer organization that assists in maintaining the area. Its goals are to ensure the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the area (2010). This dynamic, yet fragile, ecosystem has been preserved since 1965, flourishing under diligent and careful management. Coastal ecosystems include marshes, coastal waters, estuaries, and lands located at the lower end of drainage basins, where rivers and streams meet the sea or ocean (United States FWS, 2010). These complex ecosystems are composed of biotic communities; plants, animals, birds, and microbes, and the abiotic community; nonliving, chemical, and physical. According to Wright (2008) the type of biotic community found in a given area, is largely determined by the abiotic factors, such as the amount of water, climate, the salinity, or type of soil. Bolsa Chica has a wealth of plant and animal species including Sea Lettuce, Pickleweed, Shoregrass, Jaumea, and many shore birds such as, Ducks, Grebes, Western Sandpipers, and Savannah Sparrows. According to Wright, (2008), ecosystems have the same structure, regardless of their diversity, consisting of autotrophs, or producers, which produce organic matter that becomes the source of energy for heterotrophs, consumers, detritus feeders, and decomposers. Amigos of Bolsa...
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...An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.[2] These components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.[3] As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment,[4] they can come in any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces[5] (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem).[6] History and development Arthur Tansley, a British ecologist, was the first person to use the term "ecosystem" in a published work.[fn 1][10] Tansley devised the concept to draw attention to the importance of transfers of materials between organisms and their environment.[11] He later refined the term, describing it as "The whole system, ... including not only the organism-complex, but also the whole complex of physical factors forming what we call the environment".[12] Tansley regarded ecosystems not simply as natural units, but as mental isolates.[12] Tansley later[13] defined the spatial extent of ecosystems using the term ecotope. G. Evelyn Hutchinson, a pioneering limnologist who was a contemporary of Tansley's, combined Charles Elton's ideas about trophic ecology with those of Russian geochemist Vladimir Vernadsky to suggest that mineral nutrient availability in a lake limited algal production...
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...this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem. Choose 1 of the following ecosystems: * Tropical rainforest * Grassland * Coral reef * Estuary * Desert You will prepare a 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation (not including the title or reference slides) and include a minimum of 3 images about your choice of ecosystem, covering the following in your presentation: * Where might this type of ecosystem be located? Give 1 specific example. * Describe the structure of the ecosystem. * List both the abiotic components and biotic components. * Describe the function of the ecosystem. * How do the abiotic and biotic components interact in biogeochemical cycles? * Describe both the carbon and nitrogen cycles. * Describe disturbance and recovery. * Describe 1 natural and 1 human-caused disturbance to the ecosystem. * Explain the damage to the ecosystem, including how the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem changed. * Explain how ecosystems recover naturally based on resilience mechanisms and the theory of secondary succession. Ecosystem Definition noun, plural: ecosystems A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit. Supplement An ecosystem is made up of plants, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks, minerals, water sources and...
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...fully understand the "web of life" upon which we depend for our existence. What would you do, if you depended on something you didn't understand to keep you alive, and one day, you noticed that it was changing into something else? Would you try to stop it from changing? or would you just wait to see what happens next? Extinction is a natural selection process. However anthropogenic impact has increased the rate of extinction far beyond what is considered natural, and thus humans should be concerned with the extinction rate. Humans should strive to preserve a representative sample of all biomes and aquatic zones. “Aquatic biomes marine and freshwater cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface and include rivers, lakes, coral reefs, estuaries, and open ocean.” (Turk, J., &...
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...ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Mangrove ecosystems play an integral role within the stabilisation of coastal intertidal soil by preventing coastal erosion through their complex network of roots (“Teaching about Mangroves, 2013”). Scientifically they are defined as an assemblage of unique tropical plants which are able to survive within variable flooding conditions and withstand high salinity concentration. They do so by a selective combination of structural adaptations such as salt excretion upon leaves, and filtering of absorbed nutrients (“Encyclopaedia of Earth, 2013”). The most healthy and abundant mangrove communities occur in tropical and subtropical areas, between 30o N and 30O S latitude (“Encyclopaedia of Earth, 2013”). An example of a mangrove community presents itself within the Moreton Bay Mangrove community located within South-East Queensland, Australia. The community possesses 8 mangroves species but is predominantly dominated by Avicennia marina (Grey Mangroves) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Black Mangrove) (“Moreton Bay Mangrove, 2013”). The Moreton Bay community provides vital protection and food source for various marine and terrestrial species including wading birds, shrimps and crabs. Structurally it is comprised of coastal environments consisting of numerous river estuaries that extend seaward (“Moreton Bay Mangrove Species, 2013”). 1. BIOTIC INTERACTIONS IN THIS MANGROVE COMMUNITY The biotic interactions...
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...Ecosystem Structure, Function, and Change Paper (Great Lakes) Shantera Bell October 26, 2015 SCI/256 UOP The Great Lakes region is rich with life and full of native species well adapted to survival. However, since the early 1800s, many non-native plants, animals and microscopic organisms have been introduced into the Great Lakes, either accidentally or intentionally. Great Lakes native species are diverse and interesting and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. There are many unique and interesting birds, fish and plants found in Michigan and throughout the region that are integral to the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. More than 140 species of birds depend on Michigan’s coastal habitat during their life cycle. Coastal wetlands, beaches, sand dunes and remote islands provide food and shelter for both resident and migratory species. Waterfowl such as Canvasback and Scaup are among the many species that use coastal wetlands as stopover sites to rest and refuel. Shorebirds including the endangered piping plover fly thousands of miles to nest on undisturbed beaches and remote Great Lakes islands. Because of their use of the coastal lands, there are thousands of great locations to see both resident and migratory bird species throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region. State parks, national parks, wildlife refuges and sanctuaries throughout the state all provide good bird-watching opportunities. Some sites along Michigan’s Great Lakes shoreline are even...
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