Activity 2.3- Biosphere and Interconnections

Chapter 4- Energy and Ecosystems


    This concept map shows how energy flows through ecosystems, starting with sunlight and moving through producers, consumers, and decomposers. It also highlights how energy is transferred between trophic levels and why productivity differs between ecosystems.

Chapter 7- Biodiversity

    This concept map explains biodiversity at three levels: genetic, species, and ecosystem. It shows why biodiversity matters for both nature and people, the threats it faces today, and the main strategies used to conserve it.

Chapter 8- Biomes and Ecozones

    This concept map illustrates Earth’s major biomes and Canada’s ecozones. It shows how climate and geography shape these regions, and how plants and animals adapt to survive in their specific environments.

The three concept maps I created—Energy and Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Biomes and Ecozones—are interconnected, much like pieces of a puzzle. Energy flow (Chapter 4) is really the starting point. Plants and algae capture sunlight, and that energy moves through food chains and food webs. Without that process, animals (including us) wouldn’t have anything to eat or any way to survive. How much energy is captured also affects how productive an ecosystem is. That’s why places like tropical rainforests can support so many species, while deserts, with very little captured energy, can’t help nearly as much life (Freedman, 2018, pp. 60–77).

Once you understand energy, biodiversity (Chapter 7) makes a lot more sense. The number of species in an area usually depends on how much energy and productivity are available. High-energy ecosystems tend to have higher biodiversity. But the cool thing is, biodiversity also works in the other direction—it helps keep ecosystems healthy and functioning. Different species fill different roles, like pollinators, decomposers, or top predators, and that balance keeps the whole system stable. If too much biodiversity is lost, ecosystems can start to break down and become less resilient (Freedman, 2018, pp. 114–132).

The big picture comes in with biomes and ecozones (Chapter 8). Climate and geography—things like temperature, rainfall, and latitude—set the stage for which biome will form. Each biome has its own productivity levels and types of biodiversity. For example, Canada’s ecozones range from the frozen Arctic Cordillera to the prairies, and each one supports a unique mix of plants and animals based on those conditions (Freedman, 2018, pp. 133–155). When you put it all together, energy drives ecosystems, biodiversity keeps them running smoothly, and biomes and ecozones give us the stage where it all plays out.

Reference
Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental Science: A Canadian perspective. Dalhousie University Libraries Digital Editions.


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