Nature is multifaceted and beautiful. We can say that this is a whole system that includes both living and non-living nature. Inside it there are many other various systems inferior to it in scale. But not all of them are completely created by nature. In some of them, a person contributes. The anthropogenic factor is capable of radically changing the natural landscape and its orientation.
Agroecosystem is a system that has arisen as a result of anthropogenic activities. People can plow the land, plant trees on the territory, but whatever we do, nature has always surrounded us and will surround us. This is some of its peculiarity. How are agroecosystems different from natural ecosystems? This is worth sorting out.
The ecological system as a whole
In general, an ecological system is any combination of organic and inorganic components in which the cycle of substances exists.
Whether natural or created by human hands, it is still an ecological system. But still, how do agroecosystems differ from natural ecosystems? First things first.
Natural ecosystem
The natural system, or, as it is also called, biogeocenosis, is a combination of organic and inorganic components on a plot of the earth's surface with homogeneous natural phenomena: atmosphere, rocks, hydrological conditions, soils, plants, animals and the world of microorganisms.
The natural system has its own structure, which includes the following components. Producers, or, as they are also called, autotrophs, are all those plants capable of producing organic matter, that is, capable of photosynthesis. Consumers are those who eat plants. It is worth noting that they belong to the first order. In addition, there are consumers and other orders. And finally, another group is a group of reducers. It is customary to include various bacteria and fungi here.
The structure of the natural ecosystem
In any ecosystem, food chains, the food web, and trophic levels are distinguished. The food chain is the sequential transfer of energy. A food network refers to all chains interconnected. Trophic levels are the places that organisms occupy in the food chain. Producers belong to the very first level, to the second include consumers of the first order, to the third - second order, and so on.
Food chains are different. For example, the food chain of predators: always starts with plants and ends with small organisms. The other chain is the parasite chain. It includes large organisms. It starts with small ones, and ends with a specific type of animal.
A saprophytic chain, or in another way detrital, begins with dead remains and ends with some kind of animal. There is an omnivorous food chain. The pasture food chain (the eating chain ) in any case begins with photosynthetic organisms.
This is all about biogeocenosis. And how are agroecosystems different from natural ecosystems?
Agroecosystem
Agroecosystem is an ecosystem created by man. These include gardens, arable land, vineyards, parks.
Like the previous one, the agroecosystem includes the following blocks: producers, consumers, reducers. The first include cultivated plants, weeds, pasture plants, gardens and forest belts. Consumers are all farm animals and humans. The reducer block is a complex of soil organisms.
Types of agroecosystems
The creation of anthropogenic landscapes includes several types:
- agricultural landscapes: arable land, pastures, irrigated lands, gardens and others;
- Forest: forest parks, forest shelterbelts;
- water: ponds, reservoirs, canals;
- urban: cities, towns;
- industrial: mines, quarries.
There is another classification of agroecosystems.
Types of agroecosystems
Depending on the level of economic use, the systems are divided into:
- agricultural sector (global ecosystem),
- agricultural landscape
- agroecosystem
- agrocenosis.
Depending on the energy features of natural zones, the division occurs into:
- tropical;
- subtropical;
- moderate;
- arctic types.
The first is characterized by high heat supply, continuous vegetation and the prevalence of perennial crops. The second - two periods of vegetation, namely summer and winter. The third type has only one growing season, as well as a long dormant period. As for the fourth type, it is very difficult to cultivate crops due to low temperatures, as well as cooling for a long time.
Variety of signs
All cultivated plants must have certain properties. Firstly, high environmental plasticity, that is, the ability to produce crops in a wide range of climatic conditions.
Secondly, heterogeneity of populations, that is, in each of them there should be plants that are different in such characteristics as flowering time, resistance to drought, and frost resistance.
Thirdly, precocity - the ability to quickly develop, which will outstrip the development of weeds.
Fourth, resistance to fungal and other diseases.
Fifth, resistance to harmful insects.
Comparative characteristics of ecosystems and agroecosystems
In addition, as mentioned above, these ecosystems are very different in a number of other ways. Unlike natural ones, in the agroecosystem the main consumer is the person himself. It is he who seeks to maximize the production of primary products (crop production) and secondary (livestock production). The second consumer is farm animals.
The second difference is that the agroecosystem is formed and regulated by man. Many ask why the agroecosystem is less stable than the ecosystem. The thing is that in them the ability to self-regulation and self-renewal is weakly expressed. Without human participation, there is only a short time.
The next difference is selection. The sustainability of the natural ecosystem provides natural selection. In the agroecosystem, it is artificial, is provided by man and is aimed at obtaining the maximum possible output. The energy received by the agricultural system includes the sun and all that a person gives: irrigation, fertilizers and so on.
Natural biogeocenosis feeds only on natural energy. As a rule, plants grown by humans include several species, while the natural ecosystem is very diverse.
Different nutritional balance is another difference. Plant production in the natural ecosystem is used in many food chains, but nonetheless returns to the system anyway. The cycle of substances turns out.
How are agroecosystems different from natural ecosystems?
The natural ecosystem (biogeocenosis) and agroecosystem are largely different from each other: plants, consumption, vitality, resistance to pests and diseases, species diversity, type of selection and many other signs.
The ecosystem created by man has both advantages and disadvantages. The natural system, in turn, cannot have any disadvantages. Everything is beautiful and harmonious in it.
Creating artificial systems, a person should be careful about nature, so as not to violate this harmony.