Everything in the natural world is connected. An ecosystem is the interaction of a community of living organisms and the physical environment in which they live, to become a functional unit. Biomes (aquatic, forest, desert) are comprised of ecosystems and have a distinct climate with living organisms adapted to that particular environment. The earth is the compilation of all of these biomes.
“Ecotones” series by Leslie Johnston tries to give you a brief look inside the stunning color palette of some of the world’s biomes and ecosystems.
OCEAN
Oceans cover nearly three-fourths of the earth’s surface and seem almost to belong to another planet. Despite decades of exploration, less than a tenth of the deep ocean realm has been explored, despite it being the largest habitat for life on Earth.
CORAL REEFS
Coral reefs possess the greatest ecological complexity and biodiversity among marine ecosystems, and represent an invaluable economic and recreational resource. They are sometimes referred to as the tropical forests of the marine world.
COASTAL
Coastal ecosystems are areas where land and water join to create an environment with a distinct structure, diversity, and flow of energy. They include salt marshes, mangroves, wetlands, estuaries, and bays and are rich in biological diversity.
FRESHWATER
Just 3 percent of the planet's water is fresh and it is our most precious resource. Rivers and lakes have shaped the earth, carving out the world's most impressive gorges, valleys and waterfalls.
DESERTS
Deserts are united by their lack of rain, yet they are the most varied of our planet's ecosystems. There are massive dry, open, treeless, deserted lands in the world.
FORESTS
Forests can be divided into three types: tropical forests, temperate forests and boreal forests. They cover vast expanses from Siberia to
Tasmania
and still remain largely unexplored. Forests are important as they are home to diverse biotic communities and provide medicine and materials for humanity along with a plethora of folk stories and deities.
