The most obvious impact of humans on ecosystems is the loss of biodiversity . The number of extinctions caused by human domination of ecosystems has been steadily increasing since the start of the industrial revolution . The frequency of species extinctions is correlated to the size of human population on the Earth which is directly related to resource consumption, land-use change, and environmental degradation. Other human impacts to ecosystems include species invasions to new habitats, changes to the abundance and dominance of species in communities, modification of biogeochemical cycles , modification of hydrologic cycling, pollution, and climatic change. Major Components of Ecosystems Ecosystems are composed of a variety of abiotic and biotic components that function in an interrelated fashion.
Soils are much more complex than simple sediments.
They contain a mixture of weathered rock fragments, highly altered soil mineral particles, organic matter , and living organisms. Soils provide nutrients , water, a home, and a structural growing medium for organisms. The vegetation found growing on top of a soil is closely linked to this component of an ecosystem through nutrient cycling. The atmosphere provides organisms found within ecosystems with carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and oxygen for respiration . The processes of evaporation , transpiration , and precipitation cycle water between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface.