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Amazon Rainforest Ecosystem Article
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Basic Components Of An Ecosystem
from:The world we live in is composed of many, many different ecosystems, all interacting and playing off one another. Each of these ecosystems has parts, or components, which also interact within the ecosystem to produce the effects we observe and draw conclusions from. Although the components of ecosystems vary greatly from one place to another, in general we can categorize them to help better understand how they interrelate and what commonalities exist from one ecosystem to another.
A basic division that is made when considering the components of any ecosystem is between the living, or "biotic," parts and the non-living, or "abiotic". The amount of sunlight a particular area receives; the temperature and climate over an extended period of time; and the amount of rainfall received are all examples of abiotic components of an ecosystem. For ecosystems that exist in water, the type of water (freshwater or salt) and the strength of water current are ecosystem-specific components.
The biotic components of ecosystems can be further broken down into subcategories based on the feeding characteristics of a given animal. The most basic level of biotic components are the primary producers, or "autotrophs," which produce their own food usually using the chemical process known as photosynthesis. In a land ecosystem, these organisms would be the green plants, trees, bushes and the like; in a sea ecosystem, the primary producers are phytoplankton.
Above the level of autotrophs are the "heterotrophs," animals which feed on other animals in order to get their necessary nutrients. Within this category there can be countless divisions again, depending on which level in the food chain a particular animal preys upon for its food. However, there are four subcategories which must be present in any ecosystem, which are:
• Herbivores, which feed only on plants
• Carnivores, which feed only on other animals
• Omnivores, which feed on plants and animals, and
• Detritivores, which feed on dead things.
Now we must look briefly at how the components of ecosystems interact with and affect one another. Take, for example, a pond. The sunlight shines down into the water, and if the pond is relatively stagnant and nutrient-rich, tiny green algae will utilize the abiotic components to manufacture their own food. At the edge of the pond, the same sunlight is taken in by other plants, such as reeds and marshland plant life, to produce their food. Inside the pond, microscopic animals feed on the algae. Insects, such as water beetles and their young, will in turn feed on the microscopic animals, and become food for larger animals such as fish and birds. At the top of the chain lie the animals that only eat other animals, such as herons, which feed only on fish. The final step in the chain occurs when the animal dies, and is fed on by bacteria as part of the decomposition process.
Amazon Rainforest Ecosystem News
PepsiCo and Wal-Mart Attempt to Value the Amazon - Bloomberg
 Bloomberg | PepsiCo and Wal-Mart Attempt to Value the Amazon Bloomberg PepsiCo and Wal-mart have entered into a partnership with the US Agency for International Development and several nonprofit groups to protect Brazil's Amazon rain forest and other ecosystems. The companies will conduct an ecosystem review to identify ... |
Where will the loggers strike next? Map could model deforestation ... - The Guardian (blog)
 The Guardian (blog) | Where will the loggers strike next? Map could model deforestation ... The Guardian (blog) Researchers exploring the value of different types of timber across the Amazon rainforest have produced a fascinating choropleth map to illustrate their findings. Shown above, it consists of timber values plotted on a gridded map of equal-area cells, ... |
Brazil fights illegal logging to protect Amazon natives - BusinessWorld Online Edition
Brazil fights illegal logging to protect Amazon natives BusinessWorld Online Edition RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil said on Monday it was working hard to stop illegal logging in Amazon rainforest land inhabited by the ethnic Awa people, a group said to be threatened with extinction. “The Brazilian state must accomplish this task with the ... |
If President Rousseff passes the forest code, it won't be only Brazil that suffers - The Guardian
 The Guardian | If President Rousseff passes the forest code, it won't be only Brazil that suffers The Guardian Never before has the survival of so much rainforest depended on one person. But that is where President Rousseff of Brazil finds herself. The Brazilian congress just passed a forest code that puts the Amazon and other forests in jeopardy. |
Chevron's Worst Year Ever, Episode 2: Ecuador - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
 San Francisco Chronicle (blog) | Chevron's Worst Year Ever, Episode 2: Ecuador San Francisco Chronicle (blog) I am preparing to travel to the United States to speak, in person, about all of the harm that Texaco (now Chevron) left in our Amazon rainforest. Texaco contaminated our forest, leaving many people sick with cancer; the rivers poisoned; and the soil as ... A Hopeful Turn in the Chevron-Ecuador Fight Chevron CEO Faces Growing Anger From Shareholders Over $18 Billion Ecuador ... |
Chevron CEO Faces Growing Anger From Shareholders Over $18 Billion Ecuador ... - MarketWatch (press release)
Chevron CEO Faces Growing Anger From Shareholders Over $18 Billion Ecuador ... MarketWatch (press release) **Environmental advocates from Amazon Watch and Rainforest Action Network plan to ask Watson to show shareholders a video that documents the company's horrific contamination in Ecuador and its impact on public health. Chevron has been accused of lying ... |
Media centers protect human rights and rainforest in the Amazon - Sacramento Bee
Media centers protect human rights and rainforest in the Amazon Sacramento Bee We are inviting the world to collaborate with us to care for the rainforest, to help themselves." Culture is ecology. Amazon Voice is an international team of leaders, activists, and artists from within and beyond the Amazon. |
Brazil fights illegal logging to protect Amazon natives - Free Malaysia Today
Brazil fights illegal logging to protect Amazon natives Free Malaysia Today RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil said yesterday it was working hard to stop illegal logging in Amazon rainforest land inhabited by the ethnic Awa people, a group said to be threatened with extinction. “The Brazilian state must accomplish this task with the ... |