Ecosystem

Definition: Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services, such as nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth Discussion on Desert Ecosystem and Freshwater Ecosystem

Components of marine Ecosystem

The Producers - the cacti, shrubs and plants. The Primary Consumers the kangaroo rat, cactus mouse, lizards, poorwill, and desert tortoise. The Secondary Consumers the kit fo , elf owl, redtailed hawk, scorpion, roadrunner, and rattlesnake.

The Scavengers the vulture and beetles.

The Decomposers or Detrivores mushrooms, insects and microorganisms.

II. Freshwater Ecosystem

!ntroduction" #reshwater areas occur where water with a salt concentration lower than $% &dissolved by volume' is found. These water sources are usually, rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and ponds. #reshwater ecosystems are formed by producers &i.e. plants and plankton', consumers &zooplankton and fish' and decomposers &e.g. bacteria and fungus('. Their interdependent interaction with the core a)uatic life sources of light, water currents and dissolved nutrients* suspended solids is what forms the a)uatic ecosystem. +roducers supply o ygen to the a)uatic systems through photosynthesis. The o ygen is then used by the producers, consumers and decomposers through respiration. The carbon dio ide enters the ecosystem via the atmosphere and also via the respiration of producers, consumers, and decomposers and is removed again by the process of photosynthesis. The concentrations of dissolved o ygen and carbon dio ide in water therefore vary greatly dependent upon the local concentrations of photosynthesis and respiration.

Producers -plants. ,aries depending on the type of freshwater ecosystem, but usually there(s a littoral area with fi ed plants &reeds, some algae' and open water with mostly floating plants and phytoplancton. Consumers -animals. Everything from zooplancton to large fish, and all kinds of tetrapods amphibians &some a)uatic frog-s newts, etc', reptiles &alligators, etc', birds &all waders, the osprey, etc', mammals &otters, etc'. Decomposers- if you include the detritivores and scavengers, then many fishes and invertebrates that eat small particulate organic matter. !f not, then all the protists, bacteria and fungi that decompose the really small organic matter and mineralize it.

eferences $. .aum, /.0., 1.2. 3yers, 4.5. 0ehler, .. 6orm, 7./. 8arley, and +.2. 4oherty. 9::;. <ollapse and conservation of shark populations in the =orthwest 2tlantic. 7cience. 9>>" ;?>-;>9. 9. 4awes <linton /. $>>?. 3arine botany, second edition. /ohn 6iley @ 7ons, !nc., =ew Aork. ;. 8arris 5raham +. $>?B. +hytoplankton ecology" structure, function and fluctuation. <hapman @ 8all, Condon" $-$D. E. 7orokin A!. $>>D. Ecological 7tudies" <oral 1eef Ecology ,ol. $:9. 7pringer-,erlag, .erlin. D. 7mithsonian Environmental 1esearch Fhttp"**www.serc.si.edu*labs*phytoplankton*guide*inde .GspH <enter website.