Types of Ecosystems – Life on the Earth
An ecosystem is a complex community of living organisms with different relationships, functional interactions and dependency among them.
If all the ecosystems on Earth were classified into two major categories or divisions, one based on their differences in physical forms and the other based on their function, both seem apt to reveal the nature of ecosystems.
Terrestrial Ecosystem
The terrestrial ecosystem refers to the ecosystem of different landforms only. The atmosphere in the terrestrial ecosystem is quite different from the aquatic ecosystem.
The major types of ecosystems are forest, desert, rain forest, grassland, tundra, savanna and mountain ecosystem.
Rain-forest Ecosystem
The atmosphere in the rainforest regions is very adorable. This ecosystem is covered with lush green views all around this region.
Excessive rainfall provides a dense environment in the rainforest ecosystem. This is why you can find different varieties of plants & animals in the rainforest ecosystem.
Desert Ecosystem
The Desert ecosystem has a high amount of flora & fauna found in this region. The desert ecosystem has covered almost 17% of the Earth’s surface.
Excessive temperature, extreme sunshine, less water available, etc. do not allow a variety of plants & animals to live in a desert ecosystem.
You can find some plants such as cactus in the desert ecosystem. These types of plants can conserve water as much as they can. In this region, we can find animals like camels, reptiles, a few insects, etc.
Forest Ecosystem
The forest ecosystem has a huge variety of flora and fauna living together in a specific area. There are different types of forest ecosystems based on climatic conditions such as tropical, temperate, boreal, etc.
In a tropical ecosystem, we can find a large variety of vegetation as compared to another terrestrial ecosystem; This is the reason that you will always find tropical regions loaded with lush green landscapes.
On the other hand, the temperate regions the ecosystem may be coniferous, deciduous, or a combination of both.
The forest ecosystem is one of the crucial terrestrial ecosystems that provide shelter to thousands of plant & animal species.
Tundra Ecosystem
There is limited life in the tundra ecosystem due to the harsh environment of this region. The tundra region refers to the lower altitudes of polar areas.
Most of the time in a year, the land in this region is covered with snow, which makes the survival very tough; This is the reason for the limited flora & fauna found in this kind of ecosystem.
Savanna Ecosystem
Most of people have a perception that savannas are similar to deserts. The savannas ecosystem is a little different from the desert ecosystem due to the amount of rainfall in savannas.
Savannas get more rainfall as compare to the desert ecosystem, which supports the life of the flora & fauna.
Grassland Ecosystem
As the name suggests, the grassland ecosystem mainly contains grasses along with some species of shrubs & trees.
Grassland is a perfect region for grazing animals. The atmosphere in the grassland ecosystem is quite pleasant, and the climatic conditions are very similar to semi-arid regions.
The mostly found organisms in the grassland ecosystem are grazing animals, herbivorous, insectivorous, etc. Tropical & temperate are typical regions of the grassland ecosystem.
Mountain Ecosystem
The mountain ecosystem is packed with a huge variety of plants & animals. However, survival in mountain ecosystem is quite challenging due to alpine vegetation.
The animals found on higher altitudes are covered with long & thick fur to protect themselves from cold.
The animals of the mountain ecosystem also have to spend a long period of hibernation. The life in mountain ecosystem is quite tough in terms of habitats & survival.