A Air ecosystem Is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment in the air, interacting as a system. A ecosystem Can be of any size, but are usually limited to a few species.
These biotic and abiotic components are recognized by relating together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. An ecosystem is defined by the chain of interactions between organisms, and between organisms and their environment.
In the case of air ecosystems, the organisms that make up it can make life in the air. An advantage of this medium is that it has few predators, has no obstacles to mobilize and are located to the prey easily.
Many species arrive in this aerial environment thanks to the wind. Many of the insects, algae and artemia that manage to reach some other medium, like the forest for example, are dragged by the wind.
In addition, the first plant colonization on Earth was due to the fact that the wind acted as a transport for mosses and their spores. The wind acts as a means to transport seeds, which is why many plants use it, including orchids.
Many insects make life in the air ecosystem, such as beetles. There are usually two large groups of animals that accompany insects in the air: birds and bats.
Examples of organisms found in an air ecosystem
Vultures
Vultures are birds that play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. There are about 23 species, classified in Old World Vultures and New World Vultures.
The species of the Old World, inhabitants of Africa, Asia and Europe, resort to their excellent sight to locate dead animals to have their food. On the other hand, the species of the New World, inhabitants of America, have a great sense of smell to be able to locate their food
Vultures do not catch live prey, but rather act as scavengers as they feed on dead animal bodies. The acid in your stomachs is very corrosive for this reason.
Albatross
Most of these birds can be found in the southern hemisphere of the Earth: South Africa, Antarctica and Australia. There are only three species in northern pacific (Hawaii, Japan, California and Alaska). They are carnivorous and live to 50 years.
Albatrosses have the largest open wing range of any bird, reaching up to 11 feet. These birds use their great wings to fly the winds of the oceans; Sometimes they can fly for hours without needing to rest their wings.
They may also float on the surface of the ocean, although this position makes them vulnerable to oceanic predators. Albatrosses drink saltwater, as do many other birds of the ocean.
They are rarely seen on dry land, usually only when mating season. Their diet consists mainly of squid or fish.
Hawk
They are present on all continents except Antarctica. They are the most common birds of prey. They usually prefer open spaces; They are sometimes found near the coasts where coastal birds live.
Thanks to its size of 15-20 inches and weight of 1.25-3.75 pounds, the hawks are designed to travel at high speeds. This is necessary to be able to attack their prey.
Hawks hunt almost exclusively to other birds, including pigeons and small songbirds. Sometimes they can consume reptiles and small animals.
Hawks have two ways of capturing their prey. Some species capture the animals with their claws, while others kill them with their large beaks.
Hawks have suffered because of their high position in the food chain. Pesticides can accumulate in lethal amounts for predation birds, as in hawks. Many times they can also become sterile, affecting their ability to reproduce.
Butterflies
Butterflies can be found on all continents except Antarctica. These animals play an important role in the ecosystem; Act as a pollinator and as a food source for other species. They act as an important connector in the connection of the ecosystem.
Butterflies have a sense of taste at their feet. When perching on a flower, they can know how it knows. Basically butterflies can feed on anything that dissolves in water.
They feed mainly on flower nectar, but also eat pollen, manure, tree sap and decomposed fruits. They are attracted to the sodium found in salt and sweat.
Some species have very particular characteristics. For example, monarch butterflies make the trip to California and Mexico to hibernate in a warm place every winter. They are the only insects that migrate to a warmer climate, located about 2,500 miles, every year.
Beetle
These animals have about 400,000 species; Constitute about 40% of all insects. The largest family, weevils, have about 70,000 species. They can be found in almost any habitat, except in the sea and in the polar regions.
These animals interact with ecosystems in different ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down plant and animal waste, and eat other invertebrates.
Almost all insects have the same anatomy, only some have some variations; Some species have sexual dimorphism. Many of the beetles suffer from aposematism, with bright colors and patterns that warn of their toxicity.
Bald eagle
Bald eagles remain abundant in Alaska and Canada. These game birds use their heels to fish, but they get many of their food because they are scavengers or because they steal prey from other animals.
They live near water, prefer coasts and lakes, where fish are abundant and can also get small mammals.
References
- Ecosystem. Retrieved from wikpedia.org
- Airborne ecosystems. Retrieved from hypernova.cl
- Albatross in Endegered species. Retrieved from wwf.panda.org
- Albatross. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com
- Vultures: ecosystem guardians. Retrieved from wildliferesearch.org
- Falcon. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com
- Falco peregrinus (2006) Retrieved from racerocks.com
- What do butterflies eat. Recovered from whatdobutterflieseat.info
- Monarch butterfly. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com
- How the butterfly can shape ecosystem (2015). Retrieved from onegreenplanet.org
- Migration of the monarch butterfly. Retrieved from monarch-butterfly.com
- Beetle. Retrieved from wikpedia.org
- Bald eagle. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com.