Biome and Ecosystem Essay

Biome and Ecosystem A biome is defined as any area on Earth that has a specific climate and certain type of living things. On the other hand, an ecosystem is defined as a community that lives in the same environment. A biome has many ecosystems that are discussed below (Introduction to Biomes). 1) Forests are one of the largest biomes such as, the boreal forest, also known as "Taiga" which is located in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Examples of the ecosystem in the boreal forest include plants, animals, and microorganisms, whether biotic which are living organisms or the abiotic that are non-living things. The non-living things include Oxygen, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and other (non-living) environmental factors. In the forest, the primary producers are plants that make their food through oxygen and sunlight. On the other hand, the primary consumers are those who live through eating the "primary producers" for example primary consumers like goat, moose, deer, and cow are known as herbivores because they eat plants. Similarly, secondary consumers are the species who survive through eating both plants and animals; for example, dogs, cats, moles, birds, wolves, foxes, owls, and snakes are called omnivores because they eat plants as well as animals. Finally, the tertiary consumers are those organisms that mainly rely upon the flesh of other animals such as, polar bears, crocodiles, pythons, etc. (Biome Explorer). 2) Keystone species are those species that play an important role in the maintenance of ecosystems. Without the keystone species, there will be no ecosystem, and the life of forests would cease without keystone species. Hence, the existence of keystone species is of primary importance for the maintenance of the environment. Moose is one of the keystone species in the boreal forests that is herbivore in nature. They are important for the biome because they feed on those plants that release Carbon into the environment of forests and cause a threat to forest life. They also feed on the insects that can lead to the death of the trees. They are continuously feeding on the trampling and defecations, making the better survival of ecosystems. There large population present in forests defines them as a keystone species. However, it is not always necessary that only the species having large populations can be the keystone species. 3) Invasive species is the one that causes great ecological harm even if it is not a native species. The invasive species found in the biome are the Spruce Bark Beetle, whose origin is in Europe. In Europe, the non-native pest of spruce bark and pine trees damage the trees by digging tunnels into the bark of the trees and in the severe cases even leads to death of the trees 4) Endangered species are those organisms that are mostly at the risk of extinction such as the endangered species of the biome are the grizzly bears. The reason for species being endangered is the livestock depredations. That means they are being preyed by the carnivorous and omnivorous species living in the forest. Habitat deterioration is another major reason along with logging or clearing the forest area for the human population. Moreover, unregulated hunting and commercial trapping are also practiced to trap the grizzly bears for the commercialization. Investing in the habitat is one of the best ways to prevent the extinction of grizzlies. Growth of grizzly bear population in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems (GYE) has shown remarkable results; the population has increased from 136 in 1975 to 728 in 2019. Actions should be taken against logging to prevent the habitat of grizzly bears. Moreover, unregulated hunting and trapping need to be declared as illegal. Finally, the commercial trapping must be stopped so the species do not extinct (Kline)