ECOSYSTEM is short for ‘Ecological System’.We have: The Human Ecosystem and The Natural Ecosystem

An ECOSYSTEM includes all of the living organisms in a specific area.An Ecosystem’s Development depends on the ENERGY that moves in and out of that system.

In a ‘Natural Ecosystem’,

the ‘living organisms’(the plants and animals)

INTERACTwith their ‘non-living environments’

(weather, Earth, Sun, soil, atmosphere)

An entire ecosystem can be found under a big rock, or you could be referring to the overall ecosystem of the entire planetthat is, biosphere. (BIOSPHERE: the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth or another planet occupied by living organisms)

In The Human Ecosystem one system is aphase into the next and a connection toeach other.

“You and Your Environment” known as “The Human Ecology Theory”

by Urie Bronfenbrenner.

The ecological systems theory holds thatwe encounter different environmentsthroughout our lifespan that mayinfluence our behaviour in varyingdegrees.

The five (5) Environmental Systems are:• Microsystem• Mesosystem• Exosystem• Macrosystem• Chronosystem.

MicrosystemThe microsystem's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives i.e. family, friends,classmates, teachers and other people that have direct contact with you.

MesosystemThe mesosystem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life i.e. that yourschool experience may be related to your family experience.

ExosystemThe exosystem is the context in which a person does not have any active role or may not have anactive role i.e. a divorce may damage a child’s/parent’s relationship or may bring them closer.

MacrosystemThe macrosystem setting is the actual culture of an individual. The cultural contexts involve thesocioeconomic status of the person and/or his family, his ethnicity or race and living in a stilldeveloping or a third world country.

ChronosystemThe chronosystem includes the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan. Classic: Divorce: affects thecouple’s relationship as well as the children’s behaviour.

A biome IS NOT an ecosystem

Terrestrial Biomes(Latin: Terra = earth)

Land

Aquatic Biomes(Latin: Aqua = water)

Water

Biomes(Greek: bio = ‘one’s life; modern science: ‘organic life’)

are regions of the world with similar climate (weather, temperature), animals and plants (fauna and flora).

Biomes are very large ecological areas on the earth’s surface with fauna and flora adapting to their environment.

You may find many units of ‘ecosystems’ within ONE BIOME.

There are:

How many BIOMES?

Biomes are the diverse regions found

on our planet which can be distinguishedby their fauna, flora, climate andbiological diversity (variety).

Biomes are a way to DIVIDE the Earth’s

Surface based on:* Climate patterns;* Soil types;* Fauna and Flora that inhabit the area.

Scientists continue to argue on the exactnumber, or different biomes that exist.

How many BIOMES?

There is no clear answer to the question ‘How many BIOMES are there?’Many state that there are five (5).

AQUATIC DESERT

FOREST

TUNDRA*

GRASSLAND

* TUNDRA: Vast flat, treeless; subsoil permanently frozen; Asia, N. America, Arctic region of Europe.

The importance of biomes cannot be overestimated. Biomes have changed and moved many times during the historyof life on Earth. More recently, human activities have drastically altered these communities. Thus, conservation andpreservation of biomes should be a major concern to all.

How many BIOMES?

Others state there are:ten (10) BIOMES.

RAINFOREST DESERT

CONIFEROUS FOREST

DESERT SCRUB

DECIDUOUS FOREST

GRASSLAND

SAVANNAH TUNDRA MOUNTAINS

MEDITERRANEAN

Trees loosing leavesCone and Pine trees

Grassy plain

How many BIOMES?In your textbooks they count them as:

eight (8) BIOMES.

POLAR LANDS TUNDRA

TEMPERATE FOREST

DESERT

GRASSLANDS

BOREAL (TAIGA) FOREST

MOUNTAIN VEGETATION

TROPICAL FOREST

Taiga (Boreal) – swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes.

How many BIOMES?As can be witnessed there is no right answer to this question.If we take the five (5) major types of BIOMES as a start:

• Aquatic• Desert• Forest• Grassland and• Tundra

Then each has been taken and further divided: • Aquatic into freshwater, marine and estuaries.• Desert into hot and dry, semiarid, coastal, cold.• Forest into rainforest, temperate, chaparral and taiga. • Grasslands are divided into Savannah and Temperate grasslands. • Tundra into Arctic Tundra and Alpine Tundra.

And divisions of these ‘also constitute as separate BIOMES’ by some.

The five (5) BIOMES:

AQUATIC: DESERT: FOREST: GRASSLAND: TUNDRA:

Three biomes:• Freshwater• Marine• Estuaries

Four biomes:• Hot and Dry• Semi Arid• Coastal• Cold

Four main biomes:• Rainforest• Chaparral• Temperate• Boreal

(known also as Taiga)

Two main biomes:• The

Savannah Grasslands

• Temperate Grasslands

Two major biomes:• Arctic

Tundra• Alpine

Tundra

Chaparral – vegetation consisting chiefly of tangled shrubs and thorny bushes.Estuary – the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.

• An Ecological System

• The Human Ecology Theory

• The World's Biomes

• World Biomes