Ecosystems: An Overview

Ecosystem ecology, the subdiscipline of ecology that takes an ecosystems approach to studying the biosphere, seeks to understand how energy and resources flow through an integrated system, from abiotic to biotic components and back again. Climate is a fundamental determinant of ecosystems and in many ways dictates where and how organisms live. Ecosystems are shaped not only by abiotic factors but also by the species present in and around them. Ecosystems are linked together into meta-ecosystems via movement of organisms, or dispersal, as well as the movement of abiotic components. Ecosystems vary in the degree and efficiency to which they provide ecosystem services. Due to the pervasive and increasing pressures that humans are putting on ecosystems worldwide, some researchers have suggested that human activity rivals state factors such as climate and natural disturbance in its influence on ecosystem extent and functioning.