Balance of nature

Topic in Gardening courses. By John Eagles.

This page is under construction.

'Balance of nature' is the idea of an inherent equilibrium in ecosystems. Plants and animals are interacting in such a way that they form a stable and continuing system of life on Earth. Often the activities of human beings interrupt the balance, but nature has ways to bring back the balance, even this sometimes could take thousands, millions or even billions of years.

Organisms in ecosystems are adapted to each other. For example, the waste products of one species are used by another. Oxygen and energy produced by plants in photosynthesis is used by animals. Plants again use the waste product of animal respiration, carbon dioxide. Other example of balance in nature are the nitrogen cycle and the symbiotic relationship that exists between a fungus and the roots of a higher plant (Mycorrhiza).

Food chains

Food chain in a Swedish lake. Osprey feed on northern pike, which in turn feed on perch which eat bleak that feed on freshwater shrimp.

One animal feeds on another. For example, in a Swedish Osprey feed on northern pike, which in turn feed on perch which eat bleak that feed on freshwater shrimp.

A food chain is a food pathway that links different species in a community. In a food chain, energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another. Most food chains contain not more than six species.

Each of the levels in a food chain is called a trophic level. Each animal passes on about 10 percent of the energy it received. The rest is used in maintaining the body, in movement or it escapes as heat. So the amount of energy that is available decreases at each trophic level.

Therefore a food chain can be depicted as a pyramid, with few organisms at the top and many organisms at the bottom.

Each species in a particular food chain is usually part of several different food chains. Different food chains interconnect in what is called a food web. Even in small ecosystems food webs can be very complicated.

Decomposers are a vital part of food webs. During the process of decay, they break down the organic compounds in dead remains and release materials such as carbon dioxide back into the environment. Bacteria and fungi are the most important decomposers. (See also: Mycorrhiza & Micro-organisms in the soil.).

See also

• Gardening courses
• Knowledge base:Gardening

External links

• Food chain - Wikipedia
• The Balance of Nature: Food Chains & Webs 1998, Pennsylvania State University