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Food Chains Ecosystem Article
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The Mangrove Ecosystem
from:The mangrove ecosystem covers the flora, fauna and ground conditions with in the parameters of a mangrove. From the climatic conditions to the members and relationships in the food chain, the mangrove ecosystem is dependant on the major resources available. The mangrove ecosystem is unique to its area between brackish and fresh water. The mangroves are vital to filtering out the salt from the water to enable the trees to grow.
The fauna in a mangrove ecosystem will include the minute and the massive. The mangrove ecosystem offers shelter and living conditions to insects, birds, arachnids and mammals, from the tiny bush mouse to large mammals, lizards or water dwelling predators.
In the mangrove ecosystem the smallest creatures and plants are still important to the structure of the environment. From the smallest gnat to the largest predator, the relationship between the food chain is vital to the balance of the ecosystem.
Even the plants of the mangrove will become fodder for larger herbivores or small fish and water dwelling creatures. The mangrove ecosystem is balanced by the resources available. The number of trees is maintained by the number of animals or insects using them for their lifestyle or food sources. If the number of predators in the mangrove ecosystem should alter, then the food chain would be unbalanced right down to the fundamental level. Even a slight alteration in the mangrove ecosystem, due to floods, pollution, drought or human intervention, can lead to the destruction of the mangrove ecosystem itself.
The mangrove ecosystem is reliant on the balance being maintained, between growth and decay. While rotting plants, brackish water, carcasses and mulch can offer sustenance to some creatures, the death of a plant is still part of the mangrove ecosystem. The mulch provides the ideal place for germination of other seeds. All this is part of the balance of the mangrove ecosystem.
The mangrove ecosystem includes the life cycle of the larger animals too. Their living, reproducing, hunting and dying all effect the way the mangrove ecosystem achieves balance. Any variation to the numbers of creatures within the mangrove ecosystem could change the fragile balance drastically. Too few predators could mean an over production of marine life that relies on the mangroves. Once the balance is lost, it can be impossible to regain.
The delicate balance of the mangrove ecosystem is vital to the health and vitality of the mangrove itself. From climate conditions, water quality and quantity, to human intervention, or exploitation, the mangrove ecosystem is prone to influences that can alter it forever.
Food Chains Ecosystem Specific links
Food Chains Ecosystem News
Protect forage fish, cornerstone of our ocean's food web - The Seattle Times
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Marine scientist discusses cod colonization - Phys.Org
Marine scientist discusses cod colonization Phys.Org New evidence suggests that Atlantic cod may have the ability to affect entire food webs in both benthic and pelagic marine ecosystems, according to a University of Maine marine scientist, writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ... |
Bears don't know any better, but you do - Seward Phoenix Log
Bears don't know any better, but you do Seward Phoenix Log We eat similar foods such as berries, fish and moose. In fact, each of us is at the top of our food chain, competing for space in the very same ecosystem. The most significant difference is we have a far superior intellect (usually), making us all the ... |
Plant study flags dangers of warming world - Reuters
 BBC News | Plant study flags dangers of warming world Reuters * Plants flowering 8.5 times faster than predicted * Changes have knock-on effect for food chain, ecosystems By Nina Chestney LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Plants are flowering faster than scientists predicted in response to climate change, research in the ... Plants flowering faster than thought due to warming, experts find |
The Bradenton Times Polls - The Bradenton Times
The Bradenton Times Polls The Bradenton Times The international environmental group Greenpeace reports: “Throughout the food chain, warning signs are accumulating. Dolphins are sick and dying. Important forage fish are plagued with gill and developmental damage. Deepwater species like snapper have ... |