Eutrophication

Too many nutrients, algae grows, there is no light, plants die, there is oxygen depletion

The primary causes for eutrophication are anthropogenic Detergents and fertilizer
However there is the case of natural causes.
Eutrophication will cause at the end the dead of many organisms in the body water, most of the times because the lack of oxygen.
This phenomena is specially harmful in slow moving water bodies.

How do we stop it?

• Controlling the runoff from crop fields and from urban areas
• Control the amount of fertilizers used in agricultural practices
• Develop buffer zones around body water. Growing plants around them. The plants will absorb the excess of nutrients
• Set water treatments on sewage sources.
• Oxygenize the water
• Drench the sediment off the water.

Matter keeps rolling...

Inside the ECOSYSTEMS we find some cool features. Now we'll work with each of the elements that form them.

Living organisms are presented in every ecosystem. They have seven main characteristics:

1. They have/are cells

2. They reproduce

3. Grow and develop (die)

4. Absorb and use energy and materials

5. Maintain homeostasis

6. Respond stimuli

7. They're organized

There are thousands and thousands of organisms around the world. They're classified with different schemes or keys.

Organisms within an ecosystem can be recognized as producers, consumers, and decomposers by the way they obtain matter and energy. This division brings on the trophic levels.

Energy and matter flows through these trophic levels. As it had been told, energy is not completely transfered between levels 'cause some of it is used by each organisms.

Each organism found within an ecosystem is called an individual. Individuals that share similar characteristics and can reproduce between them form can be identify as a specie. A group of organisms of the same specie form and population. When populations are found together in a given area and interact between them they form a community.

Rollin' to the "ecosystems"

Now, let's talk about the ecosystem. We already know what's a system so let's analyze the word.

ECOSYSTEM

First think that comes to mind, at least for me, is nature, animals, trees, bushes, sunny skies, dry lands or rainy days. Actually with this simple idea the definition of ecosystem can be got.

An ecosystem is the relation between biotic (living components) and abiotic (non-living components) factors in an environment.

Some examples of ecosystems

- A grassland

- A forest

- A pond

- The PrepaTec Cumbres and its surroundings.

In ecosystems matter and energy goes in and out, constantly.

Energy "goes through the system" while matter "circulates around" it.