What is an Ecosystem?

Nearly everyone is confused when it comes to knowing the difference between an ecosystem and a biome but that's just because the two terms are very similar. In fact the main difference is the size; an ecosystem is usually much smaller than a biome. In fact there can be many ecosystems within the same biome. At the same time there are also ecosystems the size of the Sahara Desert.

Specifically ecosystems can be described as the dynamic exchanges between microorganisms, animals, plants, and their environments. In a balanced ecosystem everything works as a functional unit. If balance is not achieved the ecosystem can and probably will fail. If there are more organisms than available food water and shelter the ecosystem will not survive intact. Each individual piece of the system has its job to do and each job is just as important as the next.

The convention on biological diversity (CBD) made ecosystems politically important by defining that "the protection of ecosystems, natural habitats and the maintenance of viable populations of species in natural surroundings" is necessary to save diversity in the world. The CBD defines an ecosystem as a "dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit". With this heightened attention on protecting ecosystems scientists began the process of identifying and describing the different ecosystems.

Ecosystems provide valuable life supporting services that human civilization depends on. A few examples include erosion prevention, pollination, climate moderation nutrient cycles and detoxifying our air and water supplies. Florida's well known wetlands are also a powerful water cleaning system for the area. Bacteria and algae absorb heavy minerals, organic compounds and any toxins in that may be present in the water.

Biodiversity is found in areas with high amounts of species diversity. Generally the more biodiversity there is in an area, the more resilience an ecosystem has. Tropical rainforests are among the areas with the highest level of biodiversity.