What Makes an Ecosystem Healthy

By: Nick Jones on 4:29 PM

In the face of measuring human effects on biodiversity, environmental scientists have failed to identify a balanced ecosystem. The most successful concepts reflect on the properties of the ecosystem—for example, a forest or a wetland—and on what their features would be in the absence of human interaction.

As an example, in the absence of human interference, the overall plant growth in the region might be measured against what could be anticipated, as determined by the environment and soils—the natural potential of the site to grow plants. Even if they feed us, most of the croplands have a lower net carbon absorption than the native areas they substitute, so croplands must be regarded as having suffered some impact. It is not the current level of plant production that counts—rather the change from what might otherwise have been the case.

A stable environment is one that is intact in its physical, chemical, and biological elements and inter-relationships, such that it is resilient to change and stress. It is an environment that does not undergo an excessive growth or loss in native plants, an accumulation of chronic toxins, or dramatic anthropogenic shifts in its ecosystem or ecological processes. A balanced ecosystem consists of natural plant and animal species interacting in equilibrium with each other and non-living things, for example, water and rocks). Good habitats provide a supply of energy, typically the sun. The sun supplies radiant energy for the growth of the producer (plant). Producers transform radiant energy into chemical energy for use by themselves and consumers. Consumers are feeding on producers. Higher-level customers are still consuming other consumers. Split the decomposers Dead plants and wildlife, adding essential nutrients back to the earth. Plants are picking up these nutrients, along with the water, are rooted. Ecosystems have definite borders.

Components of a healthy ecosystem include: 

sunlight (energy source)

living organisms (producers, consumers, decomposers; predator/prey)

non­living things (land forms, water sources, soil, rocks)

dead organisms

natural boundaries (set by the living and non­living things within the area)

Some might think it can be hard to find a healthy and balanced ecosystem nowadays, especially with the current situation that we’re in. But some resort destinations in Davao City prove to be resilient and continue to cultivate a healthy ecosystem for their guests where they can have complete nature therapy. A new Davao birdwatching resort-like Malagos Garden, for example, is leading the way for this. To know more about them, just type “Davao Nature Resort” on google and you’ll easily pull up their website malagos.com.