Natural Ecosystems / Habitats / Biomes
View allAll Photos Tagged ECOSYSTEMS
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
Music:
"Repeat" by CHRIS COMBETTE, in 'Les Enfants de Gorée' (2010)
open.spotify.com/track/5ErThqPZNKTeyITR3fYNL9?si=hRygwwzP...
Elephants are among the most intelligent of the creatures with whom we share the planet, with complex consciousnesses that are capable of strong emotions. Across Africa they have inspired respect from the people that share the landscape with them, giving them a strong cultural significance. As icons of the continent elephants are tourism magnets, attracting funding that helps protect wilderness areas. They are also keystone species, playing an important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they live.
During the dry season, elephants use their tusks to dig for water. This not only allows the elephants to survive in dry environments and when droughts strike, but also provides water for other animals that share harsh habitats.
When forest elephants eat, they create gaps in the vegetation. These gaps allow new plants to grow and create pathways for other smaller animals to use. They are also one of the major ways in which trees disperse their seeds; some species rely entirely upon elephants for seed dispersal.
On the savannahs, elephants feeding on tree sprouts and shrubs help to keep the plains open and able to support the plains game that inhabit these ecosystems.
Wherever they live, elephants leave dung that is full of seeds from the many plants they eat. When this dung is deposited the seeds are sown and grow into new grasses, bushes and trees, boosting the health of the savannah ecosystem.
Sidenote: (This kind of digital art is certainly not one of my strengths, I don't use photoshop so cutting out the model to place into a background wasn't as easy as I thought. I still have much to learn with this but felt proud enough with what I had achieved to publish this with regards to the subject. Elephants face so many more threats than loss of habitat, as do many more wild life species.)
Thankyou in advance for your support, faves, comments and awards!
I do appreciate you all ❤️
Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is in Kajiado County, Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2; 151 sq mi) in size at the core of an 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area (average 350 mm (14 in)) one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds like pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 raptor species.
The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semiarid vegetation.
About 240 km (150 mi) southeast from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second-most popular national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Amboseli National Park offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because the vegetation is sparse due to the long, dry months. The protected area is home to African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, Masai giraffe, Grant's zebra, and blue wildebeest. A host of large and small birds occur too.
The park has several rules to protect the wildlife: Never leave the vehicle, except at designated spots; do not harass the animals in any way; always keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and always give the animals the right of way. The roads in Amboseli have a loose surface of volcanic soil that is dusty in the dry season and impassable in the wet season.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboseli_National_Park
Les insectes du monde entier sont en voie d'extinction , Plus de 40 % des espèces d'insectes sont en déclin et un tiers sont menacées, selon les chercheurs. Leur taux de mortalité est huit fois plus rapide que celui des mammifères, oiseaux et reptiles. Au cours des trente dernières années, la masse totale des insectes existant dans le monde a diminué de 2,5 % chaque année. A ce rythme, s'inquiètent les scientifiques, ils pourraient disparaître d'ici à un siècle. « C'est très rapide. Dans dix ans, il y aura un quart d'insectes de moins, dans cinquante ans, plus que la moitié, et dans cent ans, il n'y en aura plus » Les insectes sont « essentiels » au bon fonctionnement de tous les écosystèmes, expliquent les chercheurs. Ils pollinisent les plantes, recyclent les nutriments et servent de nourriture de base aux autres animaux. Leur disparition « aura des conséquences catastrophiques à la fois pour les écosystèmes de la planète et pour la survie de l'humanité » L'un des impacts majeurs concerne les nombreux oiseaux, reptiles, amphibiens et poissons qui se nourrissent d'insectes. « Si cette source de nourriture leur est enlevée, tous ces animaux mourront de faim » , « Si nous ne changeons pas nos méthodes de production alimentaire, les insectes dans leur ensemble s'engageront sur la voie de l'extinction dans quelques décennies », écrivent les chercheurs, pour lesquels l'agriculture intensive est la cause principale du déclin des populations d'insectes, en particulier la forte utilisation des pesticides. L'urbanisation et le changement climatique sont également des facteurs importants.
Image prise dans un milieu naturel .
adult bird found in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
a migratory bee-eater that breeds in semi-arid areas in the southern Sahara and that from October to March can be found in Uganda and parts of Kenya, where it can be seen foraging in woodland, open forest and along the edges of riparian or gallery forest.
Merops albicollis
witkeelbijeneter
Guêpier à gorge blanche
Weißkehlspint
Abejaruco gorjiblanco
Gruccione golabianca
Abelharuco-de-garganta-branca
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved.
Fons Buts©2025
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
a pair found in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
IUCN Red List Status: ENDANGERED with population trend
updated in 2024 as Decreasing
also Grey Crowned-Crane
Balearica regulorum
Grijze kroonkraanvogel
Grue royale
Grauhals-Kronenkranich
Grulla Coronada Cuelligrís
Gru coronata grigia
grou-coroado-cinzento
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
I shamelessly bribed the mine employees who were tasked with cutting down this ecosystem bordering my yard. It is home to frogs,insects,spiders,dragonflies and many birds.I live in a far-flung corner of the mine,so i hope to keep this sanctuary safe.
For:
Save Trees Challenge - November 2017
www.flickr.com/groups/challenges_community_group/discuss/...
A squirrel barely visible amidst the park's vegetation. It is good to know that they like to eat maple seeds. There are so many of these trees everywhere, and the seeds fly in all directions like little helicopters. By doing this, squirrels control the populations of these trees, benefiting the ecosystem.
Have a beautiful Sunday!
On/Off -Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to comment or add to your favorites! It is greatly appreciated!
Le syrphe ceinturé Episyrphus balteatus, espèce indigène abondamment retrouvée dans nos agro-écosystèmes, possède de nombreux atouts en tant qu’agent de lutte biologique. En effet, ce Diptère, polyaphidiphage au stade larvaire, est retrouvé sur une large gamme de végétaux et se nourri de nombreuses espèces de pucerons. Particulièrement voraces au second et au troisième stade, les larves peuvent consommer jusqu’à 1200 pucerons. Les adultes présentent aussi un grand intérêt puisqu’ils participent activement à la pollinisation de nombreuses espèces végétales. Par ailleurs, les femelles d’Episyrphus balteatus peuvent pondre jusqu’à 1000 œufs pour assurer leur descendance. Très sélectives quant à leur site d’oviposition, elles privilégient les plants infectés de colonies de pucerons en pleine expansion : ceci assure une lutte biologique optimale sur le terrain et l’éradication des aphidiens dommageables à nos cultures.
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Source Wikipedia.
These are the Cuchara Mountains, a small isolated range of the Rockies in south central Colorado, very close to the New Mexico border. Winter hangs on for a large part of the year here. This photo taken at almost 10,000 feet elevation shows that it's almost June and none of the aspens in the shot have a single Spring bud on them. There was a cold wind blowing, almost "like off the glacier", it snowed for a short time, mostly uber dry "corn snow", and temperatures dropped well into the 20's that night.
Hard to see, but in the distance is one of the "Spanish Sisters", peeking over the horizon.
Truly one of my favorite alpine ecosystems on the Planet.
Generated By Midjourney V6
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**Prompt :**
Deux sphères de verre parfaitement transparentes, posées sur une surface liquide miroir dans un laboratoire futuriste baigné de lumière froide bleu-cyan. À l’intérieur de chaque sphère, un micro-écosystème hyperréaliste : un arbre solitaire aux branches tortueuses, enraciné dans un sol de galets humides, partiellement submergé sous une eau cristalline. La ligne de flottaison coupe l’arbre en deux mondes — au-dessus, l’air immobile chargé de particules lumineuses ; en dessous, une eau calme où la lumière se fracture en reflets liquides.
Entre les deux sphères, des gouttes d’eau en suspension chutent lentement en apesanteur, capturées en ultra slow motion, chacune reflétant l’univers environnant comme des lentilles vivantes. Des ondulations concentriques se propagent à la surface de l’eau sous les sphères, créant un jeu de symétrie hypnotique.
Ambiance visuelle inspirée du cinéma de science-fiction contemplatif, mélange de **macro-photographie**, **optique cinématographique 85mm**, profondeur de champ extrêmement réduite (bokeh crémeux en arrière-plan), rendu **8K hyperréaliste**, textures ultra détaillées (verre, eau, bois, pierre). Éclairage volumétrique avec faisceaux lumineux diffus et particules flottantes visibles, créant une atmosphère presque sacrée.
Palette de couleurs dominée par des bleus profonds, argent métallisé et reflets blancs éclatants. Reflets complexes sur les surfaces vitrées, distorsions optiques subtiles. Composition parfaitement symétrique, centrée, avec une sensation de calme suspendu et de tension silencieuse.
Thématique implicite : dualité, expérimentation, équilibre fragile entre nature et technologie, microcosmes enfermés, illusion de contrôle.
Style visuel : fusion entre **Blade Runner 2049**, **Interstellar** et **photographie scientifique haut de gamme**, avec une touche artistique minimaliste.
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**Prompt:**
Two perfectly transparent glass spheres resting on a mirror-like liquid surface inside a futuristic laboratory bathed in cold cyan-blue light. Inside each sphere lies a hyperrealistic micro-ecosystem: a solitary tree with twisted, sculptural branches rooted in a bed of wet pebbles, partially submerged in crystal-clear water. The waterline slices the tree into two distinct worlds — above, still air filled with suspended luminous particles; below, calm water where light fractures into fluid reflections.
Between the two spheres, droplets of water hover and fall in slow motion, captured in ultra-high-speed detail, each droplet acting like a tiny lens reflecting the surrounding environment. Gentle concentric ripples spread across the liquid surface beneath the spheres, creating a hypnotic symmetry.
Visual atmosphere inspired by contemplative science fiction cinema, blending **macro photography**, **85mm cinematic lens**, extremely shallow depth of field (creamy bokeh background), **8K hyperrealistic rendering**, ultra-detailed textures (glass, water, wood, stone). Volumetric lighting with soft light beams and visible floating particles, evoking a sacred, almost otherworldly ambiance.
Color palette dominated by deep blues, metallic silver, and bright white highlights. Complex reflections across glass surfaces, subtle optical distortions. Perfectly centered, symmetrical composition, conveying a sense of suspended calm and silent tension.
Underlying themes: duality, experimentation, fragile balance between nature and technology, enclosed microcosms, illusion of control.
Visual style: a fusion of **Blade Runner 2049**, **Interstellar**, and high-end scientific photography, with a minimalist artistic touch.
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A bridge, and many species of birds, trees, grasses and aquatic plants in, around, and over Creekfield Lake in Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, TX.
For the Remote theme of Flickr Friday.
Voilà ce que l'on voit à marée basse dans la baie du Mont St Michel.
Espèce ingénieur de son écosystème, l'hermelle donne naissance à une bioconstruction dont les individus coloniaux érigent des tubes formant le massif ou récif d'hermelles. Les tubes de sable ont une section circulaire de 5 à 10 mm de diamètre, cimentés par une glande du ver, sont droits et forment un ensemble à l’allure buissonnante.
This is what you see at low tide in the bay of Mont St Michel.
An engineer of its ecosystem, the hermella gives rise to a bioconstruction whose colonial individuals erect tubes forming the hermella mass or reef. The sand tubes have a circular cross-section of 5 to 10 mm in diameter, cemented by a gland of the worm, are straight and form a bushy-looking whole.
“Urban Ecosystem Restoration” mural painted by Millo for Street Art For Mankind
From the Street Art For Mankind instagram post:
It features the artist’s signature clumsy character in a surreal setting, attempting to reclaim his space in an urban jungle that has forgotten our primary needs. It poetically and powerfully underscores the importance of green spaces in urban environments. The character demonstrates the strength of these spaces, their transformative impact on our reality, and how they enhance our well-being. It’s a clear invitation to reconnect with nature in our cities.
This unnamed ephemeral waterfall and spring system is located off trail in a narrow wooded ravine and is known to only a handful of people. The seasonal display of ice here is a combination of the clear surface water flow and the orange iron-stained mineral springs that seep through the sandstone bedrock. The microclimate at the site supports a variety of uncommon plants.
Buchen-Weberbock (Lamia textor)
The beech longhorn beetle is a large, rather rare longhorn beetle belonging to the family Cerambycidae. It measures approximately 15–30 mm in length and is distinguished by its long antennae and its grayish-brown camouflage coloration.
Key characteristics:
- primarily inhabits old beech trees and other deciduous trees
- larvae develop over several years within decaying wood
- adult beetles are mostly crepuscular and nocturnal
- plays an important role in the decomposition of deadwood within the forest ecosystem
The beech longhorn beetle is considered rare in many regions and serves as an indicator of old-growth, semi-natural forests.
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Der Buchen-Weberbock ist ein großer, eher seltener Bockkäfer aus der Familie der Langhornkäfer. Er wird etwa 15–30 mm lang und fällt durch seine langen Fühler sowie die graubraune Tarnfärbung auf.
Typisch:
- lebt vor allem an alten Buchen und anderen Laubbäumen
- die Larven entwickeln sich mehrere Jahre im morschen Holz
- erwachsene Käfer sind meist dämmerungs- und nachtaktiv
- wichtig für den Abbau von Totholz im Waldökosystem
Der Buchen-Weberbock gilt in vielen Regionen als selten und ist ein Zeichen für naturnahe, alte Wälder.
Another coastal ecosystem resident is this Black Oystercatcher.
From the Cornell Lab:
"Among the mussel- and barnacle-covered rocks of the Pacific Coast lives this stout shorebird with a gleaming reddish bill, yellow eyes, and pink legs. Black Oystercatchers spend their entire lives in view of the Pacific Ocean or adjacent bays, in rocky marine habitats that provide both nesting and foraging areas."
This one was foraging on the jetty in Crescent City, California.
Brittle stars, an alternate common name is the 'serpent stars', are a species-rich class of echinoderms with outstanding regenerative abilities. Living under rocks or in crevices with only the tips of the arms exposed, they are known to be seafloor ecosystem engineers. They reshape the seafloor sediment surface and influence the distribution of other seafloor species. They also provide nutrition to fish, sea stars and crab predators.
Their presence in a sediment sample is one indicator of a healthy benthic community. They embody nature's fragility and resilience.
Shot from the Three Pools shoreline during low tide.
The world beneath our feet holds boundless secrets, and macro photography is the key to unlocking them. This intimate photographic style shrinks the viewer down to the scale of the subject, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here, a cluster of delicate, golden-capped toadstools emerges from a tapestry of vibrant green moss. The slight frost or dusting on the caps, coupled with the soft, diffused light, highlights the texture and subtle curves of each fungus. The shallow depth of field is essential in macro work, blurring the busy background into a painterly wash of browns and oranges, compelling the eye to focus solely on the fragile life at the center. It's a testament to the fact that the most compelling and detailed subjects often require us to pause, kneel down, and look closely at the miniature landscapes that thrive just out of our everyday focus. Macro photography challenges us to see the world not as it appears from a distance, but as a rich, detailed ecosystem demanding our attention and admiration.
"If you look at ocean water in a clear glass, you’ll see that it’s not clear but full of tiny particles. Seawater contains dissolved salts, proteins, fats, dead algae, detergents and other pollutants. If you shake this glass of ocean water vigorously, small bubbles will form on the surface of the liquid.
Sea foam forms under similar conditions – but on a much grander scale – when storms roll in and the ocean is agitated by wind and waves. The creation of sea foam can occur often in gargantuan proportions.
Most sea foam is not harmful to humans and is often an indication of a productive ocean ecosystem. But when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore, there are potential for impacts to human health and the environment. During blooms popping sea foam bubbles are one way that algal toxins become airborne. The resulting aerosol can irritate the eyes of beach goers and poses a health risk for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions."
Another denizen of coastal ecosystems, a Northern Sea Otter found in the harbor of Homer, Alaska. This one is part of the southcentral (Alaska) population of sea otters, which occupies the coastal waters from west of Glacier Bay to the eastern edge of Cook Inlet.
Northern sea otters are generally larger than their Southern Sea Otter cousins, with males reaching up to 100 pounds, while females are up to 70 pounds. Southern sea otters, also known as California sea otters, are smaller, with males reaching up to 90 pounds and females weighing 35 to 60 pounds.
What a beautiful ecosystem, that of British Columbia's west coast. With BC being home to approximately 3,000 varying species of plants, it's great forests are filled with life. The moss hangs heavy on the giant trees, thick ferns blanket the ground beneath, salmon cover the creek bottoms with steady movement, and the air is buzzing with song from the area's wildlife.
The Pine Rocklands of the Florida Keys is an unusual ecosystem, with a rock layer not far beneath the surface. In the United States, the last 2% of the original forest is found only in the National Key Deer Refuge, primarily on Big Pine Key. They are also found on some isolated locations in the Caribbean.
Slash Pine trees (Pinus ellottii), with sturdy taproots, can remain standing long after the death of a tree. So there is an eerie mix of live and dead trees in the pine rocklands. When they finally fall, decomposition is rapid, with little soil buildup. There are "holes" with ponds of fresh water that support a variety of plants and small animals. In the picture, Saw Palmetto is the primary plant in the understory, but about 250 species of plants are found in the Pine Rocklands.