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The Mangrove Ecosystem
from:The mangrove ecosystem covers the flora, fauna and ground conditions with in the parameters of a mangrove. From the climatic conditions to the members and relationships in the food chain, the mangrove ecosystem is dependant on the major resources available. The mangrove ecosystem is unique to its area between brackish and fresh water. The mangroves are vital to filtering out the salt from the water to enable the trees to grow.
The fauna in a mangrove ecosystem will include the minute and the massive. The mangrove ecosystem offers shelter and living conditions to insects, birds, arachnids and mammals, from the tiny bush mouse to large mammals, lizards or water dwelling predators.
In the mangrove ecosystem the smallest creatures and plants are still important to the structure of the environment. From the smallest gnat to the largest predator, the relationship between the food chain is vital to the balance of the ecosystem.
Even the plants of the mangrove will become fodder for larger herbivores or small fish and water dwelling creatures. The mangrove ecosystem is balanced by the resources available. The number of trees is maintained by the number of animals or insects using them for their lifestyle or food sources. If the number of predators in the mangrove ecosystem should alter, then the food chain would be unbalanced right down to the fundamental level. Even a slight alteration in the mangrove ecosystem, due to floods, pollution, drought or human intervention, can lead to the destruction of the mangrove ecosystem itself.
The mangrove ecosystem is reliant on the balance being maintained, between growth and decay. While rotting plants, brackish water, carcasses and mulch can offer sustenance to some creatures, the death of a plant is still part of the mangrove ecosystem. The mulch provides the ideal place for germination of other seeds. All this is part of the balance of the mangrove ecosystem.
The mangrove ecosystem includes the life cycle of the larger animals too. Their living, reproducing, hunting and dying all effect the way the mangrove ecosystem achieves balance. Any variation to the numbers of creatures within the mangrove ecosystem could change the fragile balance drastically. Too few predators could mean an over production of marine life that relies on the mangroves. Once the balance is lost, it can be impossible to regain.
The delicate balance of the mangrove ecosystem is vital to the health and vitality of the mangrove itself. From climate conditions, water quality and quantity, to human intervention, or exploitation, the mangrove ecosystem is prone to influences that can alter it forever.
Urban Ecosystem Specific links
Urban Ecosystem News
Summer tree 'census' happening in Philly, Delaware - WJTV
Summer tree 'census' happening in Philly, Delaware WJTV By: | AP It's called the Urban Ecosystem Assessment. A similar study is being conducted in New Castle County in Delaware. The data will be used to calculate how the so-called urban forest affects public health and the economy, including air quality, ... |
Street lights disrupting ecosystem - Times of Malta
Street lights disrupting ecosystem Times of Malta Anecdotal evidence suggests street lights affect the body clock of urban birds, tricking them into feeding longer. Street lights have an unexpectedly strong effect on insect populations, favouring some species while punishing others, according to a ... |
Street lighting 'alters ecosystems' - RAC
 RAC | Street lighting 'alters ecosystems' RAC Insect ecosystems in urban areas are being altered by street lighting, according to a study. More invertebrate scavengers and predators are making their homes near artificial lights, according to experts. Survival rates of various species could be ... Street lighting is changing insect ecosystems, study claims Street lights disrupt ecosystem, says beetle study Insect swarms near streetlights contain more predators and scavengers |
SA's natural vegetation disappearing - NBA - Independent Online
 Independent Online | SA's natural vegetation disappearing - NBA Independent Online Durban - South Africa's wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem in the country, the National Biodiversity Assessment 2011 (NBA 2011) has found. KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Gauteng were expected to have no natural vegetation outside of protected ... |
Urban Outdoors: Saving open-grown oaks - 77Square.com
Urban Outdoors: Saving open-grown oaks 77Square.com Saving open-grown oaks, those that were once part of a savanna ecosystem, is one place where urban outdoors residents can be involved in saving a part of outdoors history. An open-grown tree -- usually a white, bur or swamp white oak -- is one that had ... |