What is an ecosystem and when did this term appear? The idea of the unity of living organisms and their surrounding nature came back to ancient Greek heads, but the idea was scientifically embodied only in the nineteenth century from the birth of Christ. The current definition, which explains what an ecosystem is, sounds something like this (there is little discrepancy in different sources): it is a set of living organisms that inhabit a relatively similar plot of the landscape, plus a system of bonds responsible for the exchange of matter and energy between them, plus the environment, or biotope.
Ecosystems are classified by degree of sustainability and diversity. As an example - a birch grove. It is a relatively sustainable monocultural ecosystem. An opposite example is the rainforest. The variety of its constituent organisms is such that travelers have repeatedly stated that it is sometimes impossible to find two plants of the same species within the line of sight.
The concept of ecosystem includes many components. Environmentalists distinguish climatop, the chemical composition of the air or water environment inherent in a given landscape site. Edafotop - soil, characteristic for this ecosystem. Ecotope - a set of environmental conditions, a biotope - a plot of land, according to its conditions, suitable for the living of one species of plants or animals. And, finally, biocenosis - the totality of living organisms that inhabit a site area. Ecology is an emerging and developing science, therefore some scientists include additional factors in the ecosystem that are disputed by their colleagues. However, this is only a matter of classification. Some people prefer a more fractional division of the components of the ecosystem, while others oppose them.
In order to more accurately understand what an ecosystem is, it should be remembered that the influence of man on the world around him is not only that with every decade, but also with every year is becoming stronger. Therefore, there are a huge number of artificial ecosystems, to the formation and maintenance of which man is most directly related. A good example of such an anthropogenic ecosystem is agricultural land in all its diversity. A wheat field, an apple orchard, a cotton plantation are all examples of artificial ecosystems that have all the features characteristic of natural, natural ecosystems.
A separate type of anthropogenic ecosystems is the city. A modern industrial city is of particular importance in a global ecosystem called planet Earth.
It influences not only its neighboring ecosystems, but also “through remote access” - on those systems that are many kilometers away from it. For tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of kilometers. And it's not just pollution. Material needs of the city can change the composition of ecosystems sometimes even on another continent. A classic example: to meet the needs of the city in paper, manufacturers are forced to cultivate a certain tree species that is most suitable for production. In this regard, forests, which previously consisted of trees of different species and ages, become monocultural and even mono-aging.
Modern science allows you to quite fully answer the question of what an ecosystem is, what is its impact on humans (and vice versa). But as for what are the ways to maintain ecosystems in a condition suitable for normal life, homo sapiens, the debate continues. Most agree that limiting consumption is the best solution. True, in what ways to achieve it is a big question.
