Signs of a Healthy Ecosystem and Its Variety of Life
Variety of Species: A healthy ecosystem has many different types of plants and animals. For example, tropical rainforests can have over 1,200 kinds of trees in just one hectare.
Balanced Species Populations: The number of each species should be fairly equal. If an ecosystem has a balance score above 0.5, it's usually seen as healthy.
Important Species: Some species, like wolves in Yellowstone, play a big role in keeping the ecosystem balanced. If these key species disappear, it can lead to a big drop in the variety of life.
Genetic Variety: Having a lot of genetic differences within a species makes them stronger. For example, mixing different plants can help them survive better, boosting their survival rates by up to 30%.
How Well the Ecosystem Works: Healthy ecosystems show how nutrients and energy move around well. In forests, they can trap over a billion tons of carbon every year!
Water Quality: More variety in plants and animals often means cleaner water. You can see this with sensitive creatures like mayflies, which thrive in clean conditions.
Signs of a Healthy Ecosystem and Its Variety of Life
Variety of Species: A healthy ecosystem has many different types of plants and animals. For example, tropical rainforests can have over 1,200 kinds of trees in just one hectare.
Balanced Species Populations: The number of each species should be fairly equal. If an ecosystem has a balance score above 0.5, it's usually seen as healthy.
Important Species: Some species, like wolves in Yellowstone, play a big role in keeping the ecosystem balanced. If these key species disappear, it can lead to a big drop in the variety of life.
Genetic Variety: Having a lot of genetic differences within a species makes them stronger. For example, mixing different plants can help them survive better, boosting their survival rates by up to 30%.
How Well the Ecosystem Works: Healthy ecosystems show how nutrients and energy move around well. In forests, they can trap over a billion tons of carbon every year!
Water Quality: More variety in plants and animals often means cleaner water. You can see this with sensitive creatures like mayflies, which thrive in clean conditions.