Animal Ecosystems

Animal Ecosystems

Ecosystems are dynamic interactions between plants, animals and microorganisms and their environment that work together as a functional unit (definition by Convention of Biodiversity, http://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/description.shtml). Therefore, ecosystems must be defined by their distinctive biotic elements – the millions of animal and plant species – the species diversity. Ecosystems are arranged globally as terrestrial or aquatic and differentiated in an array of biomes as for example tropical forests, mangroves, coral reefs, freshwater rivers and lakes often in combination with their biogeographical realms: Nearctic, Neotropical, Palearctic, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Oceanian, Australian and Antarctic. The undifferentiated “biomass” of ecosystems consists of multiple and dynamic interacting producers and consumers driven by the selective forces of evolution. The interdependence of these ecosystem elements expresses itself in more or less stable or fragile conditions. Single organisms as elements of ecosystems vary in metric scale from 10-7 to as far as 101, thus reflecting the difficult approach to their understanding. Accepting man as part of biodiversity, the term “artificial ecosystem” seems obsolete because humanity alters ecosystems, uses ecosystem functions and services but does not yet create ecosystems. Literally, all ecosystems are occupied, used or influenced by humanity in some matter. Degradation or change of ecosystems derive from changed functions and interactions and changes in the abundance and numbers of its elements – the animal and plant species.

Forest dwellers among others Elephant, lion, tiger, monkey, giraffe,dog,crocodile,bird, etc