Environmental Science For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 6

Exploring Ecosystems

IN THIS CHAPTER

Identifying the different types of systems and figuring out how they work

Examining how matter cycles through Earth’s environment

Understanding the movement of matter and energy through ecosystems

To study something as complex as the interaction between all living things and their environment, environmental scientists start small. They break the larger system (or unit) — the Earth — into smaller pieces that still have the characteristics and interactions of the larger system. These smaller pieces are called ecosystems.

Many environmental scientists define an ecosystem as living organisms and the environment that they inhabit and depend on for resources. Like any system, an ecosystem can be small, medium, or large and functions in scientifically predictable ways. In this chapter, I describe systems in general and the ecosystem specifically. In particular, I explain how matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem, and I describe the role that living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem play in these processes (see Chapter 3 for details on matter and Chapter 4 for details on energy).

Understanding Systems

Generally speaking, ...