Essay Sample on Ecosystem

Throughout our examinations, starting from the moment we put our ecosystem together to the time we took it apart, it was observed that many biogeochemical cycles took place in our ecosystem. The five main examples of our ecosystem representing ecological connections were predator-prey, the water cycle, the biodegradation cycle, capillary action, and the first law of thermodynamics. These five sub-ecosystems are connected and affect each other, resulting in impacts on the overall ecosystem longevity. 

The first ecological connection observed was predator-prey. A predator-prey ecological connection is when there is a relationship between two species in which one is hunting another for a food source. In our ecosystem, our grasshoppers ate the dandelions per numerous journal entries including “One grasshopper appears to be twitching, while one grasshopper is alive and is seen near the dandelions, possibly trying to eat.” This concept proved and demonstrated an example of the food chain ecosystem connection feature along with predation. Although dandelions are not animals, this shows an example of predation happening when animals (grasshoppers) have a dependence on a plant (dandelion) for a food source.

The second ecological connection observed was the water cycle. The water cycle is when water evaporates, rises, condenses, and falls back to the surface. Condensation was visible in our terrarium per consecutive journal entries mentioning the foggy jar, then the next couple of days no condensation was visible, as the writer would mention soil and plants looking healthy and vibrant corresponding to the previous condensation. The water cycle contributed to the first law of thermodynamics because water is one of the essential ingredients for sunlight-aided photosynthesis (which also uses carbon dioxide and other factors in the procedure). In addition, the water cycle provided H2O to the soil and plants which allowed capillary action to take place. 

The third ecological connection observed was the biodegradation cycle. This was exemplified when the experimenters could assume the next steps as to what would happen with the ecosystem (specifically the grasshopper decomposition) based on prior knowledge and patterns from evidence previously written about. For example, the second grasshopper's death made the experimenters assume that the next step would be the decomposition into the soil, which would also lead to and help the production of more mold to continue the biodegradation cycle; since that was the order of what happened after the death of the first grasshopper.  In addition, the decomposition of the grasshoppers also led to nutrient-rich soil, giving plants abundant and necessary nutrients they need and for healthier growth, to overall continue the cycles of the ecosystem. 

The fourth ecological connection observed was the idea of capillary action. Capillary action is when cohesion and adhesion work together to get water from the root to the stem and leaves of the plants. This property of water assists photosynthesis and getting plants the nutrients they need to survive. In our ecosystem, water was initially added to the soil, enough to fully saturate it. This water was absorbed and entered the root of the grass and clovers. When the water was absorbed and entered the roots, capillary action worked to move water up the stem of the plants, correspondingly giving them the nutrients they need to grow. Capillary action helps photosynthesis in the plants take place since water is one of the main contributors needed to commence the process of photosynthesis. If our ecosystem was reflected onto a larger environment and photosynthesis occurs on a much bigger scale, it would provide a very large quantity of oxygen into the atmosphere and ultimately without photosynthesis, other cycles, including the carbon cycle, would not be able to exist along with any other oxygen-requiring life and processes; all fueled by the process of capillary action. 

The fifth ecological connection observed was the first law of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is conserved and can never be created or destroyed, only altered or transformed. In our ecosystem, we observed that the plants were very green and vibrant throughout the experiment, these plants were correspondingly given proper sunlight daily. The sunlight energy from proper radiation exposure from the sun led to the plants taking in the sunlight energy and converting it into glucose, via photosynthesis. During this process, when the plants got exposed to the light from the sun, it was proved that in this light-dependent process, energy from sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll and transformed into stored chemical energy, in the form of the electron transporter molecule NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) and the energy-containing molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate) (adenosine triphosphate). Which specifically exemplifies the conservation of energy in this process. Additionally, chlorophyll makes our plants have their green vibrant color because it does not absorb the green wavelengths of white light. The first law of thermodynamics was therefore proven in our ecosystem and contributed to the survival of our grass and clovers. 

In conclusion, the five ecological concepts of predator-prey, the water cycle, the biodegradation cycle, the first law of thermodynamics, and capillary action, which we observed in our ecosystem, demonstrated to be dependent on each other and contributed to the production and fulfillment of the other concepts while preserving the liveliness of our ecosystem.