A terrestrial ecosystem develops on a land mass.
Ecosystem is a term that is formed with the prefix eco- and the noun system . The compositional element eco- can refer, according to its first meaning collected by the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), to the living environment. A system , meanwhile, is a set of elements that are interrelated and that act in an orderly manner in pursuit of an objective.
The idea of ecosystem , in this framework, is used in the field of ecology . It is the set composed of a specific environment and the living organisms that reside in it, including the interactions between both parts .
Depending on its characteristics, an ecosystem can be classified in different ways. A terrestrial ecosystem is called one that develops on land and not in water .
Characteristics of a terrestrial ecosystem
Terrestrial ecosystems appear on land masses , such as continental surfaces and islands. These areas serve as the living environment for various organisms that interact with each other.
In a terrestrial ecosystem, water is limited. Access to this vital resource may be greater or lesser depending on the case, determining the conditions of existence and the possibilities of development of the species .
Other natural characteristics that affect ways of life are the gases in the atmosphere and the passage of light . According to how the different factors are configured, the terrestrial ecosystem has different particularities.
Broadly speaking, it must be taken into account that a terrestrial ecosystem has an underground part and an atmospheric part. The largest amount of water is obtained from the first sector, while light and gases are used from the second section.
The desert makes possible the development of a certain type of terrestrial ecosystem.
Classification according to type
It is possible to recognize various types of terrestrial ecosystems. The main ones are forest , savanna , desert and moor , although taiga , tundra , scrubland and grassland are also often mentioned.
Sometimes these types of terrestrial ecosystems are referred to as biomes . The definition of this notion provided by the RAE refers to an ecological community that, based on certain geological and climatic properties, is made up of characteristic animals and plants.
If we analyze these types or biomes, we will notice that terrestrial ecosystems can be very different from each other. While a desert is dry and arid , a forest can have a high level of humidity . The species present in one or the other, therefore, are dissimilar.
Abiotic factors in terrestrial ecosystems
The qualities of ecosystems are closely linked to abiotic factors . This is the name given to variables that lack life, unlike biotic factors .
Climate , altitude and soil , for example, are abiotic factors that determine the formation of terrestrial ecosystems. The life of species depends on conditions such as temperature, rainfall level, soil nutrients, etc.
It is interesting to mention that terrestrial life organisms emerged about 440 million years ago. Much older are aquatic beings, which appeared more than 3,000 million years ago.