Ecosystems and Interacting Components

Ecosystems

• A community of living and non-living components (biotic and abiotic factors) interacting with each other in a specific environment
• Examples: forests, grasslands, deserts, oceans, and freshwater ecosystems
• Key components:
  • Biotic factors: plants, animals, microorganisms
  • Abiotic factors: light, temperature, water, soil, atmosphere
• Ecosystem services:
  • Provisioning (food, water, wood)
  • Regulating (climate, air quality, water cycles)
  • Cultural (recreation, tourism, education)
  • Supporting (soil formation, nutrient cycling)

Sustainability

• Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Three pillars of sustainability:
  1. Environmental sustainability: conserving natural resources, reducing pollution, and protecting ecosystems
  2. Social sustainability: ensuring social justice, human rights, and community well-being
  3. Economic sustainability: promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and creating jobs
• Key concepts:
  • Carrying capacity: the maximum population an ecosystem can support
  • Footprint: the impact of human activities on the environment
  • Triple bottom line: balancing economic, social, and environmental performance

Conservation

• The preservation, protection, and restoration of natural environments and ecosystems
• Types of conservation:
  • In situ conservation: protecting ecosystems in their natural habitats
  • Ex situ conservation: preserving species or ecosystems outside their natural habitats (e.g., zoos, botanical gardens)
• Conservation strategies:
  • Habitat preservation and restoration
  • Species protection and reintroduction
  • Sustainable resource management
  • Education and community engagement

Climate Change

• A long-term warming of the planet due to human activities increasing global temperatures
• Causes:
  • Greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide) trapping heat in the atmosphere
  • Deforestation and land-use changes
• Effects:
  • Rising sea levels and coastal erosion
  • Changes in precipitation patterns and weather extremes
  • Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem disruption
  • Human health impacts (heat stress, vector-borne diseases)
• Mitigation strategies:
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., transitioning to renewable energy)
  • Carbon sequestration and storage
  • Sustainable land-use practices
  • Climate-resilient infrastructure and urban planning

Ecosystems

• A community of living and non-living components interacting in a specific environment
• Examples include forests, grasslands, deserts, oceans, and freshwater ecosystems
• Biotic factors: plants, animals, microorganisms
• Abiotic factors: light, temperature, water, soil, atmosphere
• Ecosystem services include provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services

Sustainability

• Meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations
• Three pillars: environmental, social, and economic sustainability
• Environmental sustainability: conserving natural resources, reducing pollution, and protecting ecosystems
• Social sustainability: ensuring social justice, human rights, and community well-being
• Economic sustainability: promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and creating jobs
• Key concepts: carrying capacity, footprint, and triple bottom line

Conservation

• Preserving, protecting, and restoring natural environments and ecosystems
• Types: in situ conservation (protecting ecosystems in their natural habitats) and ex situ conservation (preserving species or ecosystems outside their natural habitats)
• Conservation strategies: habitat preservation and restoration, species protection and reintroduction, sustainable resource management, and education and community engagement

Climate Change

• A long-term warming of the planet due to human activities increasing global temperatures
• Causes: greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere, deforestation and land-use changes
• Effects: rising sea levels and coastal erosion, changes in precipitation patterns and weather extremes, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem disruption, and human health impacts
• Mitigation strategies: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration and storage, sustainable land-use practices, and climate-resilient infrastructure and urban planning