Answer:
Ecology is the study of ecosystems. That is, ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and with the nonliving part of their environment. An ecosystem consists of all the nonliving factors and living organisms interacting in the same habitat. Recall that living organisms are biotic factors. The biotic factors of an ecosystem include all the populations in a habitat, such as all the species of plants, animals, and fungi, as well as all the micro-organisms. Also recall that the nonliving factors are called abiotic factors. Abiotic factors include temperature, water, soil, and air.
You can find an ecosystem in a large body of fresh water or in a small aquarium. You can find an ecosystem in a large thriving forest or in a small piece of dead wood. Examples of ecosystems are as diverse as the rainforest, the savanna, the tundra, or the desert (Figure below). The differences in the abiotic factors, such as differences in temperature, rainfall, and soil quality, found in these areas greatly contribute to the differences seen in these ecosystems. Ecosystems can include well known sites, such as the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park, which actually includes a few different ecosystems, some with geothermal features, such as Old Faithful geyser.
The Baja desert is an example of an ecosystem
Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona.[Figure2]
Ecosystems need energy. Many ecosystems get their energy in the form of sunlight, which enters the ecosystem through photosynthesis. This energy then flows through the ecosystem, passed from producers to consumers. Plants are producers in many ecosystems. Energy flows from plants to the herbivores that eat the plants, and then to carnivores that eat the herbivores. The flow of energy depicts interactions of organisms within an ecosystem.
Matter is also recycled in ecosystems. Biogeochemical cycles recycle nutrients, like carbon and nitrogen, so they are always available. These nutrients are used over and over again by organisms. Water is also continuously recycled. The flow of energy and the recycling of nutrients and water are examples of the interactions between organisms and the interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem.
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