People who study ecosystems call ecologists. Anyone who is interested in how animals and plants interact with each other and the environment is an ecologist. Basic information about ecosystems is important for understanding, and we often hear the word ecology, because everyone lives in ecosystems and rely on them to survive.
Determination of the ecosystem
Ecosystems are any area where living creatures, such as plants and animals, interact with inanimate objects, such as soil, water, temperature and air. The ecosystem is large, like the whole planet, or small, like tiny bacteria on the skin.
Types of ecosystems
Animals and plants interact with inanimate environment in different ways. For example, plants need soil, water and sunlight for cooking and growth. Animals should also drink clean water and breathe air to survive.
In ecosystems, living creatures interact among themselves. For example, plants and animals eat each other to live, insects and birds pollinate flowers or carry seeds, which helps plants multiply, and animals use plants or other animals to remove parasites. These complex interactions make up the ecosystem.
The importance of ecosystems for humanity
Ecosystems are important for people because they help live and make people’s lives more pleasant. Ecosystems of plants produce oxygen for animal breathing. Pure, fresh water is necessary for drinking and growing food on healthy soils. People also use trees, stones and soil to build houses for shelter and protection.
Ecosystems contribute to the development of culture. Throughout history, people wrote poems and stories about the world of nature, use plants to make colors to decorate clothes and buildings. People also use minerals and stones such as diamonds, emeralds and shells to create beautiful jewelry and accessories.
Even the technologies that people rely on today are ecosystem products. Components of computers, such as lithium batteries, are obtained from natural sources. For example, liquid crystalline screens (LCD) consist of aluminum and silicon. Glass is used to make fiber-optic cables that deliver the Internet to the house.
