Ib_Ecosystem

Biology Ecosystem Assignment: 1. Biosphere is air, water, soil on earth that supports life. It consists of a thin layer of independent and interrelated ecosystems that cover the earth. One of the examples of biosphere is that food chains or a food web. The food chain is a linear and simple feeding relation, where one organism has one type of food and is eaten by one type of organism. However, a food web is a more complex and it includes more variety of organisms, each of which can feed on a variety of other organisms and is fed upon by a variety of organisms. 2. Human activity has caused significant damage to ecosystems and biomes worldwide. Pollution has destroyed many ecological habitats throughout the world beyond hope of repair. Myriad species of organisms have become extinct without ever being discovered and potential forms of medicine have died with them. The devastation that the human species has caused through the exploitation of natural resources and the sake of making money is sickening. Disturbing the global ecology of our planet will have serious repercussions in the future. Another example is growth of the human population. It’s a major factor affecting the environment. Simply put, overpopulation means that there are more people than there are resources to meet their needs. Almost all the environmental problems we face today can be traced back to the increase in population in the world. The human population is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate of 1.8%, three more people are added to the earth every second. This represents an increase of almost 60% since 1970 and over 150% since the Second World War.   3. A biome is the largest ecological unit. It consists of many ecosystems which interact with each other in complex ways. Different biomes are distinguished from each other by variations in climate, rainfall, soil type, food sources, plants and animals. There are nine major terrestrial biomes: coniferous forest, desert, grassland, Mediterranean, mountain, rainforest, savanna, temperate forest, and tundra. There are also aquatic biomes: coastal waters, coral reef, freshwater, and Open Ocean, to name only a few. Most organisms have more than one food supply. For example, gulls eat crabs, mussels, prawn as well as whelks and limpets. Lobsters eat many different animals, such as crabs, mussels and whelks. Each individual organism is involved in many food chains. These food chains interconnect to form a relationship called a food web.