Biome and Ecosystem Essay
The aquatic biome is chosen in this case, which encompasses saltwater and freshwater biomes. The freshwater biomes incorporate wetlands, lakes, streams and waterways. A saltwater biome includes estuaries, coral reefs, and sees. Numerous types of animals and plants are found in oceanic biomes. Both marine and freshwater have unique amphibian zones or districts, each portraying the particular type of animals and plants. The wetland is the most diverse habitat when it comes to plants and animals (Davis et al., 2018). The animals in wetlands include birds, amphibians, insects, and bacteria, while the plans include grasses and other aquatic plants. This is probably the most useful biome in the ecosystem. It is the primary source of water, a basis of life. Most of the organisms live in this biome and either in their entire life or a part of their life.
Every biome contains a keystone species, a species whereby various organisms in an ecosystem, to some degree, if removed from the environment, would result in a great change. A good example of keystone species in this biome is a sea star. This is a marine invertebrate that has five arms and a central disc, although some species have a bigger number of arms. They have tube feet that rely on a hydraulic system and with a mouth at the lower surface. They have a complicated lifecycle and reproduce both asexually and sexually (Allen et al., 2019). They are important because of their wide spectrum of nutrition, which helps maintain diversity in this ecosystem. Following their wide spectrum of food, they enhance an incredible predator-prey relationship. They are the cornerstone predator, which shows that various species on the planet depend on their presence generally for the ecosystem to operate appropriately. The sea stars are well adapted to thrive in harsh environmental or intertidal zones. Also, they assume a vital role as keystone predators, upon which the other populations depend on.
A good example of invasive species in the aquatic biome is zebra mussels. These are invasive species that are the size of a fingernail mollusk, a native to freshwater in Eurasia. Its name was coined from a black, zig-zagged stripes on every shell. This species has greatly spread to many parts of the world as they have been reported in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas (Gallardo & Aldridge, 2018). They have negatively affected the ecosystems because they sieve the algae required by indigenous species as a food source, and they incapacitate and attach to native mussels. Also, some power plants use millions in detaching the zebra mussels from blocked water intakes. Some governments like Canadians have dedicated a lot of resources towards the research to comprehend the threat and to enlighten the public regarding how they can take part in deterring the spread of this organism.
The endangered species is Hawaiian Monk Seal, which survives at the shoreline where the climate is high. This species is at great risk of extinction after the disappearance of the third species. This species is at risk following the increased need for skin, oil, and meat by businesses, and a threat from predators like tiger sharks (Antonelis et al., 2006). To protect these species, the laws have been established, and such laws include the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act.
References
Allen, J. D., Richardson, E. L., Deaker, D., Agüera, A., & Byrne, M. (2019). Larval cloning in the crown-of-thorns sea star, a keystone coral predator. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 609, 271-276.
Antonelis, G. A., Baker, J. D., Johanos, T. C., Braun, R. C., & Harting, A. L. (2006). Hawaiian monk seal: status and conservation issues. Atoll Research Bulletin.
Davis, J., Sim, L., Thompson, R. M., Pinder, A., Box, J. B., Murphy, N. P., … & Sunnucks, P. (2018). Patterns and drivers of aquatic invertebrate diversity across an arid biome. Ecography, 41(2), 375-387.
Gallardo, B., & Aldridge, D. C. (2018). Inter-basin water transfers and the expansion of aquatic invasive species. Water Research, 143, 282-291.