Midterm1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Midterm1 - Assignment Example These abiotic factors are broadly classified  into three categories climatic factors, edaphic factors and inorganic substances. Climatic factors include the climate regime and physical factors of the environment such as humidity, atmospheric temperature, wind and light among others. Edaphic factors are related to the structure and composition of soil including its chemical and physical properties such as soil profile, soil type, minerals, soil water, soil organisms and organic matter. The last category of inorganic and organic substances include; water, sulphur, phosphorous, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and human substances. Biotic factors comprise of the living part of the ecosystem. They include any living thing that affects another organism (eoearth.org). Biotic community is divided into heterotrophs, authotrophs and saprotrophs. Autotrophs also known as producers or convertors are photosynthetic plant, generally bearing chlorophyll, which produces high-energy complex organic compounds form inorganic raw materials. In terrestrial ecosystem, autotrophs are mainly rooted plants. Floating plants e.g. phytoplankton and shallow water rooted plants are the autotrophs in aquatic ecosystem. Heterotrophs are known as consumers, which are generally animals feeding on other organisms. They consist of mainly carnivores and herbivores. Lastly, saprotrophs break down complex organic compounds of dead matter. ... These roles are because of natural processes of a total ecological sub-system of that it is a part. In turn, this natural processes result to complex interactions among abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems through the general driving forces of energy and matter (Fisher al et, 648). Ecosystem has four basic functions; regulatory functions, habitat functions, production functions and information functions. Regulatory group of functions relates to the capacity of both natural and semi-natural ecosystems to regulate essential ecological processes by bio-geochemical cycles and other biosphere processes. Natural ecosystems provide habitat functions. Wild plants and animals take refuge in the natural ecosystem. Consequently, this contributes to conservation of genetic and biological diversity in the evolutional process. It also regulates change and stability of a region. Another function is the production function. Photosynthesis and nutrient uptake by autotrophs converts carbon diox ide, energy, nutrients and water into a wide variety of carbohydrate structure, which are later used by secondary producers to make an even bigger variety of living biomass. This diversity in structure of carbohydrate provides many ecosystems with goods for human consumption. Lastly natural ecosystem provide an essential ‘reference function’ and lead to maintenance of human health by providing opportunities for spiritual enrichment, reflection, aesthetic and recreation experience. The Diablo Range is a mountain range, located in the eastern San Franciso Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California. It is perceived as an intact ecosystem has it has both biotic and abiotic