Human beings are part of nature, not separate from it. None of the five million species on Earth, including us, can survive without each other, or without healthy ecosystems.
An ecosystem, or natural community, can exist anywhere on Earth. It's made up of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living, life-supporting) elements. In any area, whether it is a rain forest, wetland, or backyard, biotic elements (plants and animals) form an ecosystem along with abiotic elements (soil, rocks, air, and water). Your ecosystem includes the land, air, water, sunshine, food, home, coworkers, friends, and family you need to survive.
The word ecosystem combines two words: ecology and system. Eco means habitat or home. System refers to the interdependent way the biotic and abiotic elements of a natural community fit together like pieces in a complex jigsaw puzzle.
An ecosystem can be as big as a planet or as small as a backyard pond. Tall-grass prairies, rain forests, mountains, swamps, meadows, and Arctic tundra are just a few examples. The biggest ecosystem of all is the ecosphere, which includes the surface of the planet, the atmosphere, continents, oceans, and all living things on Earth.
Today, we're at a critical turning-point. People all over the world are learning that we have to take care of our life-support system. We may be just one of millions of species, but we are a very important one – unlike other creatures, we can control our impact on Earth.
While our individual habitat projects may seem small and insignificant, they make an enormous contribution to the vitality of the ecosphere when combined with the individual efforts of everybody else. Our wildflower patches and nesting boxes are part of a complex ecosystem in which all things are interdependent.
