Enviromental science

environmental_

science

Enviromental 

ecosystem

 In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem.Choose one of the following ecosystems:Tropical rainforestGrasslandCoral ReefEstuaryDesertscience

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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Environmental Science

Student’s Name

University Affiliation

Environmental Science

Environmental science part 1

1page Define stewardship and define sustainability.

Stewardship of the ecosystem refers to a framework that is action-oriented and that seeks to develop the sustainability of the socio-ecological environment of a planet that is rapidly changing planet. It considers the means through which the resources availed by the environment are managed with the intent of ensuring they are not wasted or exhausted. Sustainability on the other hand refers to the facilitation of current needs by using the environment without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to meet their needs.

Considering the Amazon forest, there are several considerations that can be made in light of the stewardship and sustainable utilization of the resource. To begin with, it is imperative that Amazon resource are conserved by being included as a conservation reserve and marked for protection and sustainability. Additionally, it could be placed under a covenant of conservation. There should also be an inventory of the natural resources in the Amazon including a comprehensive inventory of the biological resources found in the forest and which should be monitored within regular intervals. Additionally, there should be increased research on the identification of maintenance procedures of proper biological and physical processes from the forest. There should also be policies set that determine the sustainable utilization of timber from the Amazon rainforest according to proper standards that will ensure that future generations use of the same is not endangered (Chapin III & Matson, 2011).

The environmental implications that can arise as a result of deforestation of the Amazon forest are innumerable. To begin with animals dependent on the forest would find it difficult to survive and, therefore, may become extinct. This would make them unavailable for future generations. Additionally, deforestation leads to an imbalance between the carbon dioxide: oxygen ratio in the atmosphere. As a result, air pollution will become aggravated.

PART 2

Ecosystems and How They Work – Sustainable Development close

In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem. Choose one of the following ecosystems:

Tropical rainforest

An ecosystem refers to a correlated community of both living and non-living organisms and the environment in which they are found. It comprises an abiotic and biotic component. For this discussion the ecosystem chosen is a tropical rainforest. The biome of a rainforest is highly complex as it comprises a myriad of various plant and animal species which are adapted to surviving under rainy conditions. An example is the Amazon rainforest. In the rainforest ecosystem there exist various plant levels, with the highest being the tall trees that form a canopy. Then there are vines, epiphytes and orchids which grow on the higher parts of the trees in order to obtain sunlight on the lower levels are the ferns and short trees are found on the forest floor and, are adapted to photosynthesize under low light intensity. Within the rainforest the animals are as diverse as the plant life, ranging from insects, snakes and numerous bird species. Water points within the rainforest also host numerous other aquatic animals and plants. Within the rainforest, there are biotic and abiotic factors that interact with each other in a biogeochemical cycle to ensure their survival. The biotic components of the rainforests include all the living organisms in the ecosystem while the abiotic include all the nonliving components of the ecosystem. The abiotic factors include temperature, wind, water, soil and natural disasters. Temperature greatly affects the metabolic processes of the living organisms in the rainforest. Water affects the homeostatic balance of the organisms and has other uses that ensure the survival of the living organisms. Light, on the other hand, provides the energy necessary to drive core processes such as photosynthesis. Soil provides a habitat for some animals, while its provides a source for minerals and support to plants. Natural disasters such as forest fore, typhoons and hurricanes result in the death of numerous organisms, inadvertently reducing the competition or even leading to extinction.

The biosphere provides a crucial exchange point in its interaction with the lithosphere. It participates in major processes of the ecosystem that serves to drive the major biogeochemical cycling processes. Processes within the ecosystem are largely dynamic and undergo seasonal cycles that are dynamic and that respond to the changes in radiation of solar. This results in variations in the primary productivity as well as different energy amounts from the photosynthetic process and carbon dioxide fixation into materials that are organic. This results in yearly variability of the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is the largest and most expansive of all the biogeochemical processes. The fixated carbon found in plants changes into food to be consumed by plant consumers as well as decomposers. These then undertake the process of carbon degradation into a form that has less energy and finally, the photosynthesis fixed carbon is released back into the atmosphere, thereby completing the carbon cycle. The biogeochemical nitrogen cycling is also energy intensive. Bacteria are involved in fixing atmospheric nitrogen gas into forms that are reactive and useful to other living organisms (Elbert, Weber, Burrows, Steinkamp, Büdel, Andreae,, & Pöschl, 2012).

Disturbance refers to the process that results in an alteration in the ecosystem. This alteration has negative effects to the rainforest ecosystem and can be both artificial and natural. A human disturbance can be caused by massive deforestation. This results in the removal of an important part of the rainforest ecosystem, the trees. A natural disturbance may include a typhoon or a hurricane which ultimately results in the destruction of the trees and other components of the ecosystem. If left to recover, the ecosystem applies several mechanisms such as the re-growth of new trees. However, the process takes a considerable amount of time to recover to the originals state. It is, therefore, imperative that governments and other organizations initiate processes that ensure such ecosystems are protected against such destructive disturbances, especially human caused disturbances.

References

Chapin III, F. S., & Matson, P. A. (2011). Principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology: Springer.

Elbert, W., Weber, B., Burrows, S., Steinkamp, J., Büdel, B., Andreae, M. O., & Pöschl, U. (2012). Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Nature Geoscience, 5(7), 459-462.