Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
parison, an ecosystem as a whole survives primarily
through a combination of
matter recycling
(rather than
one-way flow) and
one-way energy flow
(Figure 3-13).
Decomposers complete the cycle of matter by
breaking down detritus into inorganic nutrients that
can be reused by producers. These waste eaters and
nutrient recyclers provide us with this crucial ecologi-
cal service and never send us a bill. Without decom-
posers, our planet would be knee-deep in plant litter,
dead animal bodies, animal wastes, and garbage, and
most life as we know could not exist.
Abiotic chemicals
(carbon dioxide,
oxygen, nitrogen,
minerals)
Heat
Solar
energy
Heat
Heat
Producers
(plants)
Decomposers
(bacteria, fungi)
Explore the components of ecosystems, how they interact,
the roles of bugs and plants, and what a fox will eat, at Envi-
ronmental ScienceNow.
Consumers
(herbivores,
carnivores)
Heat
Heat
Biodiversity: A Crucial Resource
A vital renewable resource is the biodiversity found in
the earth's variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and
ecosystem processes.
Biological diversity,
or
biodiversity,
is one of the
earth's most important renewable resources. It in-
cludes four components, as shown in Figure 3-14.
Active Figure 3-13
Natural capital:
the main structural components
of an ecosystem (energy, chemicals, and organisms). Matter recycling
and the flow of energy—first from the sun, then through organisms,
and finally into the environment as low-quality heat—links these
components.
See an animation based on this figure and take a short
quiz on the concept.
Functional Diversity
The biological and chemical processes such as energy
flow and matter recycling needed for the survival of species,
communities, and ecosystems.
Ecological Diversity
The variety of terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems found in an area or on the earth.
Abiotic chemicals
(carbon dioxide,
oxygen, nitrogen,
minerals)
Heat
Solar
energy
Heat
Heat
Producers
(plants)
Decomposers
(bacteria, fungi)
Consumers
(herbivores,
carnivores)
Heat
Heat
Genetic Diversity
The variety of genetic
material within a species
or a population.
Species Diversity
The number of species
present in different habitats
Figure 3-14
Natural capital:
the major components of the earth's
biodiversity
—one of the earth's most impor-
tant renewable resources.
