Chapter 31, Problem 1BYB

Summary Introduction

To explain:

The influence of climate on a community and an ecosystem.

Introduction:

An ecosystem refers to the sum of both the nonliving (abiotic) and living (biotic) constituents of a natural community. The procedure of energy flows and nutrient cycles make it possible for both the abiotic and biotic components to function together.

It can also be stated that an ecosystem refers to an association and at certain occasions a cooperation, which allows organisms to prevail in restricted spaces. In ecology, a community refers to an association or a group of populations of two or more distinct species inhabiting the same geographical region at a specific time, also called biocoenosis. Climate exerts certain influences on a community and on an ecosystem.

Explanation of Solution

Climate refers to an essential environmental factor on ecosystems and community. The change in climate influences ecosystems and community in numerous ways. For example, warming may force species to move from higher elevations or higher latitudes to the places where temperatures are more favorable to their existence. Identically, with the rise in the levels of the sea, intrusion of saltwater may force certain species to die to relocates, thus, eliminating prey or predators, which are critical in the prevailing food chain.

The change in a climate not only influences the ecosystems and community directly, it also associates with other human stressors, like development. However, some stressors lead to slight changes when functioning alone, their cumulative influence may result in dramatic changes in the ecology. For example, change in climate may aggravate the stress that the development of the land puts on the delicate coastal regions.

Conclusion

Every community and an ecosystem are complicatedly associated with its climate. The only species, which can survive in a particular climate, are those, which have developed to fit the specific blend of moisture, temperature, seasonal changes and other changes in the elements of that climate. In return, the species within a community and ecosystem assist in developing the climate.