Florida's Ecosystems

There are so many different ecosystems in the world and we don’t even realize it. Florida is home to many different varieties of ecosystems. Even on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, we see all different types of ecosystems of life. You can walk the nature trail offered for the students through our beautiful woods and it’s a whole different world for the animals living there. I was recently jogging through the trail and heard some noise in the bushes, turned around and saw two baby dears running through the trail. An ecosystem, according to biologyonline.org, is A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit. Our colloquium class took a small hike on campus and observed some of the ecosystems close by. You can learn so much about a certain area or animal or plant just by watching one ecosystem function. You can learn many details about the plants, what kind of habitat they need and what kind of sun or shade they need to survive, if they are a water plant or high land plant.

 I researched some of the different ecosystems found in Florida and to me the most interesting ecosystems are in the ocean. I love the ocean and everything about it, hence why I love the East Coast of Florida and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. One of the many ocean ecosystems are coral reefs. Corals that grow in sunlit areas depend on tiny algae called zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae help provide oxygen and food for the polyps. Individual corals are interconnected colonies of soft, fleshy polyps that secrete complex shells made of calcium carbonate. There are over 30 different types of coral reefs found in Florida’s waters. Now imagine snorkeling in Australia along the Great Barrier Reef, and how cool it would be to see so many different animals and underwater plants. Another cool ecosystem is the Sand Dunes. Its so interesting to research further in to the specific ecosystems because you learn why and how everything involved is so dependent upon each other. If something goes wrong than it can lead to worse problems, which is usually like a new endangered species. As I was saying Sand Dunes are an interesting ecosystem and unfortunately a loss of beach habitat to real estate development, erosion, and rising sea level has caused a decline in the nesting shorebird and sea turtle populations. Dunes are created by wind, and the plants and grasses that grow there keep the sand in place as it blows down the beach. The vegetation found within Florida's dunes varies and is dependent upon many factors, including storm waves, windblown sand, salt spray, soil type, and climate. Overall Florida is a very unique and interesting place to live for all creatures and if we don’t function together, just like our environment, something will go wrong along the chain and in the end will create bigger problems down the road. 

 An ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reefs of Australia.

 This is  an image of a Dune ecosystem.

http://www.gator-woman.com/ecosystems.html