Ecosystem and Decay

• Ecosystem: A community or group of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment.
• There are many ecosystem in the world, such as:

  • Desert: Hot and dry environment, usually cold in the night
  • Mangrove Forest: Wetlands are characterized by such qualities like humid climate, saline environment, waterlogged soil or muddy soil. 
  • Rice Paddy: Composed of surface water, plowed soil layer and subsoil, and the plowed soil layer
  • Sea Ice in Arctic: Very cold environment, mostly covered in/ with large packs of iceberg
• Terms and Definition:

  • Adaptation: Special characteristics of an organism that helps it survive in their habitat
  • Extinction: The dying out of a species
  • Native Species: Indigenous to a given region/ ecosystem if its presence in that region
  • Invasive Species: Introduced, non native organism that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment
• Adaptation: The special characteristics of an organism that helps it survive in their habitat
• Some of the adaptations are: 

  • Arctic
  • Desert
• • Arctic:
  • Arctic animals grow thick, white fur to stay warm and blend in with the snow
  • Lemmings burrow under snow during the winter to keep warm
  • Caribous migrate during the winter in search of food
  • Some animals have foot padding to protect the bottom of their feet
  • Arctic animals use its body fat to keep warmth
  • Animals in the tundra have small ears to stay warm
• Desert: 

  • Some animals live in burrows to avoid the sun (E.g. Kangaroo)
  • Animals intake water from other sources (E.g. Their food)
  • Scorpions have outer hard skin to reduce water loss
  • Camels store fat in their humps and water in their long neck
  • Camels have cushioned foot to keep their balance on rocky paths and walk across sand without sinking
  •  Animals in the desert have big ears to get rid of excess heat
• Organic Matter: Substance that has been made of living things. We are also organic matter
• Decay: Process/ state of rotting or decomposition through the action of microorganisms. Microorganisms can break down organic matter. Without decaying, the environment will not be balanced and our environment and humans will be affected. 
• Process of Decaying: 

  • Microorganism can only break down organic matter
  • Microorganism break down dead bodies and animal waste
  • They return the nutrients to the soil
  • Plants use the nutrients to help them grow
• 4 Aspects Of Decay: 

  • Warm Temp: Higher temperature increase the rate of decay, thus lower temperature decrease the rate of decay
  • Oxygen Availability: Increase in oxygen availability increase the rate of decay, thus decrease in oxygen availability decrease the rate of decay
  • Water Content: More water availability increase the rate of decay, thus less water availability decrease the rate of decay
  • Adding Preservatives: Not adding preservatives increase the rate of decay, thus adding preservatives decrease the rate of decay