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Essay / Freshwater Ecosystems - 1588
IntroductionAn aquatic ecosystem is one that occurs in a body of water and is home to a community of organisms that depend on each other to live and function. The three major functions of ecosystems are energy flow, nutrient cycling and biodiversity. Energy flows through an ecosystem and trophic levels from primary producers, which use solar energy in photosynthesis to synthesize complex organic substances (Reece & Campbell 2011, Lindeman 1942 and Gaston 2000). Solar energy is the basis on which all life in an ecosystem depends (Lindeman 1942). Nutrient cycling is transmitted across trophic levels and ecosystems through consumption, translocation, feces, and decomposition (Reece & Campbell 2011, Vanni 2002, & Hammer & Holmlund 1999). Nutrients often undergo numerous transformations from one chemical form to another (Vanni 2002). Ecologist Camille Parmesan explains the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem and its benefits, such as the fact that breathable air is the result of plants and microorganisms (Reece & Campbell 2011). The effectiveness of ecosystem processes depends on the species present (Giller et al 2004). Energy flow, nutrient cycling and biodiversity each play an essential role in regulating ecosystems. In the sections that follow, I will discuss each of them in depth. Energy flow Energy flows through an ecosystem and trophic levels from primary producers, which use solar energy in photosynthesis to synthesize complex organic substances (Reece & Campbell 2011, Lindeman 1942 and Gaston 2000). ). As energy flows through an ecosystem, it takes the form of primary productivity (a bottom-up approach): nutrients are taken up by plants (primary producers); the plants are then eaten by primary consumers...... middle of paper ......ics, 29 (2), pp. 253--268. Humbert, J. and Dorigo, U. 2005. Biodiversity and functioning of the aquatic ecosystem: a mini review. Health and management of aquatic ecosystems, 8 (4), pp. 367-374. Lindeman, RL 1942. The trophic-dynamic aspect of ecology. Ecology, 23 (4), pp. 399--417. Odum, EP 1969. The ecosystem development strategy. Science, 164 (3877), pp. 262-270. Reece, JB and Campbell, NA 2011. Campbell's Biology. Boston: Benjamin Cummings.S Giller, P., Hillebr, Berninger, U., O Gessner, M., Hawkins, S., Inchausti, P., Inglis, C., Leslie, H., Malmqvist, B., T Monaghan, M. et al. 2004. Effects of biodiversity on the functioning of ecosystems: emerging issues and their experimental test in an aquatic environment. Oikos, 104 (3), pp. 423--436. Vanni, MJ 2002. Nutrient cycling by animals in freshwater ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, pp.. 341--370.