Climates and Ecosystems

Ecosystems are an important part of how the natural world provides humans with certain vital resources. Many things have an effect on these ecosystems, but none more so than climate.

Identification

• According to the University of Illinois, the climate of a particular area refers to the average weather it experiences over time. The Alberta Online Encyclopedia, a service of the Heritage Community Foundation, states that an ecosystem is composed of a geographical area in which plants and animals interact with their climate and landscape.

Significance

• Weather is a prime consideration in how an ecosystem thrives. For instance, if the weather in a particular ecosystem suddenly turned permanently cold, not all species of plants or animals native to that area would be able to survive. According to the University of Illinois, climate has more influence on an ecosystem than any other factor.

Considerations

• Vital benefits to humanity are provided by the Earth's ecosystems. These include food, fuel and air. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, in recent times, environmental changes in the Earth's climate and atmosphere have had an effect on the way many of the Earth's ecosystems function. This, in turn, reduces the benefits that these ecosystems contribute to humanity.