Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The Earth System
- Part II Global Physical Climatology
- Part III Soil Processes
- Part IV Hydrometeorology
- Part V Biometeorology
- Part VI Terrestrial Plant Ecology
- 19 Plant strategies
- 20 Populations and communities
- 21 Ecosystems
- 22 Vegetation dynamics
- 23 Disturbances and landscapes
- 24 Global biogeography
- Part VII Terrestrial Forcings and Feedbacks
- Index
- Plate section
- References
This chapter is part of a book that is no longer available to purchase from Cambridge Core
21 - Ecosystems
from Part VI - Terrestrial Plant Ecology
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The Earth System
- Part II Global Physical Climatology
- Part III Soil Processes
- Part IV Hydrometeorology
- Part V Biometeorology
- Part VI Terrestrial Plant Ecology
- 19 Plant strategies
- 20 Populations and communities
- 21 Ecosystems
- 22 Vegetation dynamics
- 23 Disturbances and landscapes
- 24 Global biogeography
- Part VII Terrestrial Forcings and Feedbacks
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Chapter summary
This chapter extends the discussion of the preceding chapter from that of populations and communities to their functioning as ecosystems. Plants interact with one another and with soil resources as an ecosystem. The soil matrix provides water, nutrients, and other resources required for growth and survival. The availability of these resources to sustain plant growth is modulated by biological activity from plants themselves and also from microorganisms in the soil. The interrelationships between the physical and biological environments are embodied in the concept of an ecosystem. A terrestrial ecosystem combines living organisms and their physical environment into a functional system linked through a variety of biological, chemical, and physical processes. The structure of an ecosystem is measured by the amount of materials such as carbon and nitrogen and their distribution among living, decaying, and inorganic components. The functioning of an ecosystem is measured by processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, evapotranspiration, and elemental cycling. Plant productivity and nutrient cycling are tightly linked. High nutrient availability leads to high nutrient uptake during plant growth and high net primary production so that more nutrients are returned to the soil in litterfall. The good quality of the litter allows for rapid decomposition and mineralization, which reinforces the high nutrient availability. Low nutrient availability has the opposite effect.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Ecological ClimatologyConcepts and Applications, pp. 303 - 325Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008
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