An ecosystem is a community of different species of living organisms and their physical environment. Ecosystems can be found in all biomes, including aquatic (marine and freshwater) and terrestrial environments.
Ecosystems are composed of abiotic or non-living components, such as climate, soils, water and sunlight, as well as biotic or living components, such as plants, animals and microorganisms. All these components interact with each other to create an ecosystem.
Biodiversity is the variety of life within an ecosystem. It includes the different species of plants, animals and microorganisms that live in an area, as well as the variety of habitats they occupy. Biodiversity is important for the functioning of ecosystems because it provides resilience against environmental changes and disturbances.
Ecosystem services are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. They include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as climate regulation and pollination; supporting services such as soil formation; and cultural services suchas recreation and aesthetic enjoyment. The value of ecosystem services has been estimated to be worth trillions of dollars per year globally.
Humans have always depended on ecosystem goods and services for their survival. In recent years however, human activities have begun to impact ecosystems more than ever before. This is due to factors such as population growth, technological advances and economic development. As a result, many ecosystems are now under threat from human activities like pollution, overfishing , deforestation , unsustainable farming practices . If not managed properly , these threats can lead to the degradation or even loss of entire ecosystems . This would have devastating consequences for both humans and the natural world .