To understand how healthy an ecosystem is, we can look at several important signs:
Biodiversity: A lot of different living things, like plants and animals, usually mean a healthier ecosystem. When there are between 100 to 300 species in one hectare (that’s about the size of a soccer field), it’s a good sign. If the number of species goes down, it can mean the ecosystem is under stress.
Population Dynamics: We need to keep an eye on how many of each species there are. If one type of animal or plant drops by more than 50% in ten years, it can mean something is wrong.
Trophic Levels: A healthy food web is important. In a balanced web, about 90% of the energy decreases as it moves up from one level to the next, which helps keep everything stable.
Water Quality: The health of an ecosystem can also be seen in its water. We look at things like pH levels; a good range is from 6.5 to 8.5. Also, nitrogen levels should be less than 1 mg/L to show that the water is clean.
Habitat Stability: Healthy ecosystems can bounce back after problems, like wildfires. It usually takes between 10 to 20 years for them to recover.
By checking these signs, we can get a good idea of how well an ecosystem is doing!
To understand how healthy an ecosystem is, we can look at several important signs:
Biodiversity: A lot of different living things, like plants and animals, usually mean a healthier ecosystem. When there are between 100 to 300 species in one hectare (that’s about the size of a soccer field), it’s a good sign. If the number of species goes down, it can mean the ecosystem is under stress.
Population Dynamics: We need to keep an eye on how many of each species there are. If one type of animal or plant drops by more than 50% in ten years, it can mean something is wrong.
Trophic Levels: A healthy food web is important. In a balanced web, about 90% of the energy decreases as it moves up from one level to the next, which helps keep everything stable.
Water Quality: The health of an ecosystem can also be seen in its water. We look at things like pH levels; a good range is from 6.5 to 8.5. Also, nitrogen levels should be less than 1 mg/L to show that the water is clean.
Habitat Stability: Healthy ecosystems can bounce back after problems, like wildfires. It usually takes between 10 to 20 years for them to recover.
By checking these signs, we can get a good idea of how well an ecosystem is doing!