An ecosystem is a community formed by the interaction of living organisms and their physical environments, from soil minerals to topographic formations and weather patterns.
The biome is the largest geographic unit, characterized by a dominant vegetation type. The biome can be characterized by a set of ecosystems with similar characteristics.
| ecosystem | Biome | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An ecosystem is a functional unit or system in the environment where non-living (abiotic) components and living organisms (biotic) interact. |
It is a zone on earth determined by the characteristics of climate, organisms and vegetation, measured on a large scale. It is the largest geographic biotic unit. |
| Area | Smaller scale measurements. | Large areas, over 1 million square kilometers. |
| Examples | Dense rainforest, restinga and mangroves. |
Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga and Pantanal. |
Definition of Biome
The biome is the largest geographic biotic unit, constituted by the grouping of similar vegetation types at regional levels. Although the abiotic components are implicit as shaping factors of a biome, they are not explicitly mentioned in the same way as in the ecosystem.
Its definition considers common environmental conditions, such as climate and geology patterns, which historically went through the same formation processes.
A single biome can be spread widely across the Earth, and due to similar selection patterns species in different parts of a biome can be similar in appearance and behavior.
However, a global biome can have unique ecosystems. For example, the tropical forest biome refers to this ecological community across the planet, from South America to Southeast Asia. On the other hand, you can speak of the Amazon rainforest as a distinct specific ecosystem, when it comes to species composition, hydrology and other factors.
Biomes are defined based on major life forms, but are dynamic on a larger time scale. The edges of biomes can move with global warming or cooling, changes in precipitation, glacier movement and sea level rise, etc.
Map of the Biomes of Brazil
What is ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a functional unit or system in the environment where non-living (abiotic) components and living organisms (biotic) interact.
Biotic factors include all types of living beings, interacting with abiotic factors such as soil, water, atmosphere, light, temperature, humidity, pH, etc. The essential function of such a system is to capture and distribute energy between living organisms and the environment.
Living organisms have an internal hierarchy within an ecosystem, forming food chains. These food chains contribute to the existence of an ecosystem, as do non-living substances (such as solar energy). The world's ecosystems can be separated into two groups: terrestrial and aquatic.
A given ecosystem may vary over time, with ecological succession, movements of streams, drought and extinction of species, introduction of exotic species, human interference and others factors.
Each ecosystem is unique in itself, but they have standard components in the food chain, which are:
- Producers: are the main energy producers, who produce their own food with the help of sunlight or chemical reactions. The best example is plants that produce their own energy through photosynthesis.
- Consumers: These types are totally dependent on the producer for food, like animals.
- Decomposers: The biggest examples are bacteria and fungi, which decompose organic matter and convert it into soil.
Some of the ecosystems found in Brazil include:
- Dense rain forest;
- Araucaria forest;
- Altitude fields;
- Restinga;
- Mangroves;
- Mixed rain forest;
- Open rainforest.
See also the differences between:
- Food chain and food web
- Viruses, bacteria and fungi
- soil types
