Introduction
All around us our natural environment is constantly changing. Changes that
happen naturally, without people making them happen, are normal and are part of
how the Earth works. For example, when the seasons change from summer to
autumn, it is natural for some trees to lose their leaves. Other natural
conditions can be more extreme and are less predictable, like a hurricane storm
or a tidal wave.
So that we can understand how the natural environment works, we need to look
more closely at how it functions. By doing this, we can better predict when big
events like hurricanes are likely to happen and as humans, we can learn how
best to look after the Earth.
Spider Monkey - J Snodgrass
Ecosystems are communities of interacting organisms (plants and animals) and
the physical environment in which they live. They are the combination and
interaction of the plants, animals, minerals, and people in any given area of
the Earth. This could be a forest, an ocean, a city, a pond or our own back
garden. Every part of Earth is part of an ecosystem.
The study of ecosystems helps us to gather information about natural changes
and learn how to predict them as well as considering how the actions of humans
can harm or protect our environment.
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