Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems and Ecological Communities

Many of the basic characteristics of ecosystems and ecological communities include:

(1) All living parts of the community in ecosystem depend on nonliving parts of the ecosystem for their survival: soil, water, air, and the light that provides energy for photosynthesis;

(2) The members of the ecological community affect the nonliving parts of the ecosystem;

(3) The living organisms in the ecosystem are connected in complex relationships (through food chains & webs) that make it difficult to change one thing without having many effects;

(4) The relationships among the members of the ecological community are dynamic and constantly changing, many species are adapted to and benefit from a changing environment;                       

(5) An ecosystem changes over time and can undergo development through a process called succession.