An ecosystem is made up of living and nonliving parts. These living parts, or biotic factors, include animals, plants, and bacteria. The nonliving parts, or abiotic factors, include temperature, humidity, and rocks. In every ecosystem, there are producers, consumers, decomposers, and inorganic matter, as well as energy from an external source that’s usually the sun. All the interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors are linked, creating a complex community. But that doesn’t mean ecosystems have to be large; a puddle can be just as much of an ecosystem as a desert. (1)

Forests

There are many different types of forests in the world, the type depending on latitude, local soil, rainfall, and temperatures. To be considered a forest, the area must cover at least one acre with at least 10% tree cover. Forests benefit us in many ways, including their ability to mitigate climate change and provide the air we breathe (learn more about the importance of forests in our previous blog post).

There are three types of forests: temperate, tropical, and boreal. Temperate forests can be found in the mid-latitudes and experience all four seasons, resulting in tree leaves changing color and falling off in the colder months. Common near the equator are tropical forests, which have high temperatures, long growing seasons, and extremely high biodiversity. Boreal forests are located farthest north. They have short growing seasons due to long, cold winters. Compared to tropical forests, boreal forests have minimal biodiversity. (2, 3)

Grasslands

Grasslands are defined by their large open areas of grass, and they are maintained by low rainfall, wildland fires, and grazing by animals. Because of the low precipitation rates, there are few to no trees in grasslands. In different regions of the world, grasslands are known by different names, like steppes in Europe and Asia, prairies in North America, velds in South Africa, pampas in South America, and downs in Australia. They cover 10% of the Earth’s surface.

Many grasslands in the U.S. have been converted into fields for crops and grazing land for cattle because of the rich soil. The five largest grasslands in the U.S. are Little Missouri in South Dakota, Buffalo Gap in South Dakota, Thunder Basin in Wyoming, Comanche in Colorado, and Pawnee in Colorado. These National Grasslands are protected and owned by the federal government, and may be used for hunting, mineral extraction, grazing, and recreational purposes. (4, 5, 6)

Image by Kimberly Melissa Booth from Wikimedia Commons

Coastal

Coastal ecosystems are the areas where land and ocean meet, and they have recognizable features that are sensitive to disturbances like beaches, cliffs, and coral reefs. A change in temperature, salinity, nutrient availability, or sediment load, no matter how small, can have wide-ranging effects. Waves constantly impact these coastal features, causing both erosion and deposition. This type of ecosystem includes bays, estuaries, mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses, and wetlands.

Coastal ecosystems are hotspots for activities and industries like recreation, textiles, fishing, agriculture, and tourism. Beaches are popular vacation destinations, and salt marshes are used as nursery habitats for shrimp, crabs, and fish. Not to mention reefs, with the Great Barrier Reef being the largest coral reef ecosystem and a popular area to swim, snorkel, and dive. Like forests, certain coastal ecosystems can mitigate the effects of climate change. Seagrasses absorb 10% of the total estimated organic carbon stored in the oceans each year. (7, 8, 9)

Marshes

A type of wetland, marshes are an area of land frequently inundated with water. Marshes are usually treeless and have emergent soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to the saturated soil conditions. These herbaceous plants bind their roots to the soil and slow water flow, encouraging the spread of the marsh.

Marshes have high biodiversity, hosting thousands of insects that become food for the many fish, crustaceans, and birds. Over 33% of threatened or endangered species live in wetlands. Some ecosystem services of marshes include mitigating floods, protecting coastal areas from storms, and recharging groundwater aquifers by providing water to streams. They also improve water quality and produce food for us to eat. (10, 11, 12)

Watersheds

Defined as the areas of land that drain into a particular body of water, watersheds are shaped by nature’s hills and valleys. They can contain streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and underlying groundwater. Watersheds are similar to marshes in that their benefits include improved water quality, flood control, and protection against other natural disasters.

The temporary storage and transportation of water is one of a watershed’s main functions. A majority of this water comes from rainfall and stormwater runoff. Other main functions include transporting sediments, energy, and organisms. Pollutants can also be transported, which can contaminate the body of water a watershed drains into. That’s why it’s important to protect the quality of our watersheds. (13, 14, 15)

Citations

(1) Science Learning Hub. (2007, July 19). Ecosystems. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/993-ecosystems

(2) National Geographic Society. (2020, February 5). Forest biome. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/forest-biome/

(3) Nordseth, A. (2011, May 12). Types of forests: Definitions, examples, and importance. Treehugger. https://www.treehugger.com/types-of-forests-definitions-examples-5180645

(4) National Geographic Society. (2020, February 5). Grassland biome. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/grassland-biome/

(5) Anwar, S. (2019, April 25). What is grassland ecosystem? Jagran Josh. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/grassland-ecosystem-components-structure-and-economic-importance-1556176113-1

(6) Atitwa, S. C. (2018, December 6). The largest national grasslands in the United States. WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-national-grasslands-in-the-united-states.html

(7) Neal, E. (2019, November 22). Characteristics of a marine biome. Sciencing. https://sciencing.com/characteristics-of-a-marine-biome-12535256.html

(8) UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). Great Barrier Reef. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/

(9) The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2019, May 31). Four types of coastal habitats and why they matter. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2019/05/31/four-types-of-coastal-habitats-and-why-they-matter

(10) National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). Marsh. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/marsh/

(11) United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2020, May 19). Classification and types of wetlands. https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/classification-and-types-wetlands#marshes

(12) Cherry, J. A. (2011) Ecology of Wetland Ecosystems: Water, Substrate, and Life. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):16. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/ecology-of-wetland-ecosystems-water-substrate-and-17059765/

(13) O'Keefe, T., Elliott, S., & Naiman, R. (n.d.). Introduction to watershed ecology. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/moduleFrame.cfm?parent_object_id=518

(14) WV Department of Environmental Protection. (n.d.). Watershed management. https://dep.wv.gov/wwe/watershed/Pages/watershed_management.aspx

(15) United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2020, February 19). Benefits of healthy watersheds. https://www.epa.gov/hwp/benefits-healthy-watersheds

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