Contrast the stable temperature but varying rainfall of a site in Panama with the relatively constant precipitation but seasonally changing temperature of a site in New York State. We can draw upon plant physiology to know that certain plants are distinctive of certain climates, creating the vegetation appearance that we call biomes. Note also that some climates are impossible, at least on our planet. The high tundra is as much a desert as is the Sahara. Summary An ecosystem consists of the biological community of a place, and the physical and chemical factors making up the abiotic environment.
Ecology looks at energy transformations and biogeochemical cycling within ecosystems.
Ecology is often defined as the interactions of organisms with each other and with the environment in which they occur. The basic components are important to nearly all types of ecosystems. Energy is continually input into an ecosystem in the form of light energy, and some energy is lost with each transfer to a higher trophic level. Nutrients, on the other hand, are recycled within an ecosystem, and their supply normally limits biological activity. Energy is moved through an ecosystem via a food web, which is made up of interlocking food chains.