Exploring the Amazing Diversity of Ecosystems: A Guide

An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, microorganisms, weather, and landscape work together in order to form a bubble of life. That means an ecosystem contains biotic factors and abiotic factors.

An ecosystem can be very small or very big. For example tide pool – is a very small ecosystem and it contains seaweed, algae, starfishes, abalones, clams and mussels. That means it contains photosynthesizing organisms, herbivores, and carnivores. The ocean is an example of a larger ecosystem.

Ecosystems support vast food weds. Ecosystem diversity means the variations in the ecosystems within a geographical location. For example deserts, forests, and coral reefs.

Ecosystem diversity is a part of biodiversity. It provides numerous economic benefits. Let's discuss

• What is ecosystem diversity
• The economic benefits provided by ecosystem diversity
• Examples of economic benefits provided by ecosystems

The economic benefits provided by ecosystem diversity

• Provide food from animals, fish, and plants.
• Provide timber and fuel wood from plants.
• Provide recreational activities like hiking, fishing, and camping.
• Biomass and the recycling of organic waste.
• Soil formation.
• Nitrogen fixation.
• Biological pest control.
• Forests sequester carbon dioxide.

Examples of the economic benefits of ecosystem diversity

Cerrado Savanna

This is the world’s most bio-diverse Savanna and it is home to an astonishing 5% of the Earth’s plants and animals. The animals which can be seen in this ecosystem are Jaguars, giant anteaters, manned wolves, and armadillos. This ecosystem provides many services to the local community and also it stores an immense amount of carbon in the ground but this ecosystem is under threat due to deforestation.
Now the relevant authorities have taken action to conserve this area. Therefore the ecosystem services which are provided by this ecosystem for example providing food to the animals and the local community, providing timber and fuel wood, nutrient cycling, recreational activities, and carbon sequestration are also conserved. Then can obtain these economic benefits for a long time.

Sinharaja forest

Sinharaja forest is a world heritage and it is conserved. Therefore these ecosystem services which are provided by this forest are also conserved. This is a biodiversity-rich area in Sri Lanka.
Sinharaja forest area contains many endemic plants and animal species. The economic benefits of this area are providing edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, bee honey, sugar sap, vegetables, and yams for food, carbon sequestration, helping to maintain the water cycle, nutrient cycling, providing timber and fuel wood, and providing medicine. Also, this area provides a large number of habitats for wild animals.

Wetlands in Colombo

These help to control the flooding in the Colombo area and provide habitats for birds, butterflies, and mammals like fishing cats.

In the end can say the economic benefits of biodiversity are providing food, providing timber, fuel wood, medicine, medicinal plants, seafood, and other wild foods, providing clothing materials, carbon dioxide sequestration, waste recycling, nitrogen fixation, ecotourism, pollination, bioremediation, pest control, obtaining high yielding and disease resistant plant varieties, nutrient cycling, climate regulation, irrigated agriculture, fishing, soil formation, wind barrier, storm protection, absorption of pollutants, flood regulation, air quality regulation, coastal erosion regulation, provide habitat for wild animals and water purification.