Ecosystems & the Biosphere

Identification

• The Earth is made up of the lithosphere (earth), hydrosphere (bodies of water) and atmosphere (air). The biosphere is where all of the processes contributing to life occur. Within the biosphere are a variety of ecosystems, or areas that contain specific life forms.

Features

• Ecosystems are composed of at least one habitat, which in turn contains many different species and surroundings. Within an ecosystem, at a point where more than one habitat intersects, are larger portions called biomes. The biosphere is composed mainly of aquatic ecosystems, from ponds and lakes to oceans.

Function

• The function of ecosystems boils down to the transfer of food and energy, whether it's a plant's photosynthesis process, converting solar energy to a form it can use to grow, or the hunting of small prey by larger organisms. This process is what makes ecosystems, and thus the biosphere, stable.