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The POND as an ECOSYSTEM A pond is a living ecosystem - a balance of fish, plants, and beneficial bacteria that compliment and support each other. As in nature, fish in a pond eat the plants and algae that grow on the various surfaces in the pond. The fish produce wastes, which settle into the bottom of the pond, where they are broken down by beneficial aerobic bacteria. The bacteria provide nutrients for the pond's plants, which feed the fish, and so the cycle continues. When the ecosystem is balanced, a properly designed and built pond will require very little maintenance. A variety of natural, and fish friendly materials are available for those times when an adjustment is needed to keep the ecosystem in balance. How it Works The energy from the sun is a key driver of an ecosystem. The sun's light energy is captured by primary producers (mainly green plants and algae) and converted into by a process called photosynthesis into another form of energy, which is chemical in nature such as carbohydrates. This type of energy is used by plants to grow stems, leaves, and flowers. The key chemical components needed for the plants to grow are such things as nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, and oxygen. The wildlife in the aquatic ecosystem are not capable of photosynthesis not unlike ourselves. Animals need to either eat plants or animals to get their nutritional. In any ecosystem, the transfer of energy and nutrients from plants to animals occurs again and again as we move along a pathway called the food chain. Primary Producers such as plants and any other organism capable of photosynthesis is considered the First Link in the food chain. Primary Consumers are animals that eat these types of plants or organisms and are the next link in the food chain. Secondary Consumers (humans and other animals) make up the final link in the food chain eating plants and animals and who break down the dead tissue and provide nutrients for a new generation of Primary Producers. Most organisms in an ecosystem have more that one food source feeding on both insects, animals, plants and therefore belong to multiple food chains which results in a complex web with links to multiple ecosystems. |
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