View allAll Photos Tagged ECOSYSTEMS
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 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.
TMI: your ART & NATURE
October Contest - Fresh Water Wonder
www.flickr.com/groups/impressionists/
~ai/pixlr
It is a wonderous time of year on Vancouver Island, where all of the Garry Oak ecosystems are exploding with colour. These are Camas flowers.
Il nuovo servizio ARS Altomann gestito da Rail Traction Company / Lokomotion da Verona QE per Monaco è da poco ripartita dal passo del Brennero verso Innsbruck al traino della 189.917 ed è qui ripreso sul celebre curvone di St Jodok. (10/3/16)
The new ARS Altmann train from Verona QE to München has just letf the Brennerpass station pulled by the Br189.917. (2016/3/10)
The Ngorongoro crater is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world. It was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed two or three million years ago. The caldera is a huge bowl with walls of more than 600 meters high, covered with forests, plus a flat ground and land of about 260 km2. This particular natural world is organized in several ecosystems - forests, savannas, lakes and marshes, salt ponds, arid lands ... -, embedded in an area that does not exceed 20 kilometers in diameter.
The crater houses about 25,000 animals of very different species. It is considered one of the smaller areas where it is possible to see the big five, the five most representative animals of Africa: the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the buffalo and the rhinoceros (if the hippopotamus is included, then it should be enlarged the denomination to the big six). In addition, in the circle it is possible to observe, with a bit of luck, the exotic black rhinoceros, possibly the biggest attraction of the park.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, February 2016
A Pink Salmon, desperately trying to elude a hungry Black Bear, leaps from the shallow spawning steam only to land on a rock. For all their bulk, bears are agile and quick, and this one is about to clamp down on her meal... but... believe it or not, the salmon did a backflip and escaped! (Unfortunately it flipped behind that out of focus rock in the left foreground, so my next frame wasn't as good.)
My title refers to both of them. The salmon needs to spawn. The bear needs to pack on calories to get through the coming winter. The salmon that don't make it feed not only bears, but eagles, crows, wolves, vultures, gulls, and the forest itself (bears and eagles will carry their catch into the woods to consume, and the leftovers will fertilize the forest floor). This is how a healthy ecosystem should work. Whether the BC coastal ecosystem is healthy enough to maintain itself at this point is anyone's guess...
Wildlife action from the wild coast of British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Earth is beautiful, Earth is complex.
Earth is fragile.
Earth is a delicate inter-dependent web of ecosystems that provides the basis for all life forms.
Constantly reconfiguring, morphing, decaying, the natural world is at once confounding, sublime, brutal, and unspeakably elegant.
There are 1,8 million species that we know of.
And many millions more we don't even have names for.
Countless are going extinct before we even glimpse them.
A beautiful and mature Alpine Ibex, overlooking his frozen kingdom, but also seemingly looking back at us with a smidge of contempt for not trying harder to protect this fragile ecosystem. Pennine Alps, Switzerland.
The Pantanal, formerly known as the Laguna de Jarayes, is the largest wetland in the world. The region, whose name derives from the Portuguese word "pântano" (meaning "swamp"), is located in South America, mostly in Brazil, but also encompassing parts of Bolivia and Paraguay. It covers a total area of 150,000 km².
The Pantanal floods during the rainy season, submerging 80% of its territory. As a result, the Pantanal boasts the world's richest collection of aquatic plants. It is believed to have the densest flora and fauna ecosystem in the world. However, the area is often overshadowed by the Amazon rainforest.
2/12/2019©ttounces images
Coral reefs are an ecosystem that includes more fish types living in a two-acre area, than there are bird species in all of North America. Fish and manatee feed and raise their offspring here. Coral polyps act as a filter in keeping the ocean clean. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, medicines are currently being developed from coral reefs to treat cancer, arthritis, bacterial infections, Alzheimers, as well as heart disease. Coral will significantly enhance our quality of life.
Brazil
Cuiaba River
The Pantanal
South America
This image celebrates International Jaguar Day.
International Jaguar Day was created to raise awareness about the increasing threats facing the jaguar and the critical conservation efforts ensuring its survival from Mexico to Argentina.
Observed annually on November 29, International Jaguar Day celebrates the Americas’ largest wild cat as an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation and an icon for sustainable development and the centuries-old cultural heritage of Central and South America.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large felid species and the only extant member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico in North America, across much of Central America, and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America.
It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; and its numbers are declining. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat.
Overall, the jaguar is the largest native cat species of the New World and the third largest in the world. This spotted cat closely resembles the leopard, but is usually larger and sturdier. It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps and wooded regions.
The jaguar enjoys swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain. As a keystone species it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations.
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), great British naturalist and explorer, friend of Charles Darwin, and author of amazing The Malay Archipelago (1869), visited Lombok. In 1859 he posited the famous Wallace Line in the strait between Bali and Lombok. It purported to divide Euro-Asian from Australian ecosystems. Wallace's idea was that the strait was extremely deep and thus a true divide between two islands quite close together. But soon others began to question his theory. One of these naturalists was Max Carl Wilhelm Weber (1852-1937).
The Dutch government fitted out a zoological and geographical scientific (deep-sea) expedition to this part of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), 1899-1900, and appointed Weber its leader (www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/16562413136/in/photoli...).
Their ship H.M. Siboga - named for the city of Sibolga/Siboga of western north Sumatra - moored at Labuan Tring in western Lombok, earlier visited by Wallace, in March 1899. Soon Weber demonstrated that the Lombok-Bali Strait was not nearly as deep as Wallace had estimated; only a mere 312 metres. He posited his own Line - between the Taminbar Islands and Timor - named after himself, which in turn had to make way for others.
Doubtless, however, the Sunsets before and after 1859 and 1899 remained much the same...
A b/w depiction Mt. Rainier.
"Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems."
re: nps.gov
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Northchurch Common, Hertfordshire, England
Foggy morning walk
One mature Oak plays host to a myriad of other life forms.
Cette sculpture environnementale se dresse sur les quais du port Havnegade à Helsingør (ou Elseneur) dans la région Hovedstaden ou Région-Capitale au nord de l'île Sjælland du Danemark.
Intitulée "Golden Bream From the Øresund", ce poisson géant a été créé par un groupe de bénévoles avec des rebuts selon la Yodogawa Technique. Cette technique a été imaginée par les artistes japonais Hideaki Shibata et Kazuya Matsunaga qui se sont associés en 2003 pour créer des œuvres à partir de déchets et d'objets divers trouvés le long de la rivière Yodogawa à Osaka. En travaillant avec des biens de consommation mis au rebut et du bois flotté, le duo astucieux a créé des pièces sculpturales qui ressemblent à des collages physiques et qui, au départ, ne semblent même pas avoir été fabriquées à partir de déchets. Ce Golden Bream (ou dorade dorée), qui vise à éveiller les consciences sur l’enjeu des déchets et lafragilité de l’écosystème de l’Øresund, a voyagé durant l’année 2015 tout autour la région de l’Øresund, de chaque côté du détroit qui sépare le Danemark et la Suède. Il semble qu’au moment de notre visite il faisait une longue pause sur les quais de Helsingør.
La vieille ville de Helsingør, célèbre pour son fameux château Kronborg Slot, a aussi conservé nombre de maisons à colombages, restaurées avec soin. Les marchands aisés et les armateurs habitaient à proximité du port tandis que les artisans et les marins vivaient à la périphérie. Le personnel jadis chargé de prélever le droit de passage de l'Øresund, s'était aussi assez enrichi pour se faire construire de splendides maisons bourgeoises 17e et 18e siècle qui font le charme des vieux quartiers. La vieille ville est aujourd'hui en grande partie piétonne.
L'île de Sjælland) (ou Seeland ou Sélande) est la plus grande île du Danemark. Elle se trouve entre la péninsule danoise du Jutland et la Suède. Sa superficie est de 7 031 km2 et c’est sur elle que se concentre la majorité de la population. C'est d’ailleurs dans l'Est de cette île habitée par 2 625 206 d'habitants (chiffres de 2024) qu'est située Copenhague, la capitale du Danemark. L'île forme la majorité du territoire de la région de Sjælland, à laquelle elle donne son nom. La région de la capitale se trouve aussi (en grande partie) sur l'île, mais constitue une entité administrative séparée.
Grizzly Bear
The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the North American brown bear or simply Grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the Brown Bear inhabiting North America.
Grizzlies, like black bears, come in a variety of colors. They can range from blond to nearly black. Sometimes they have silver-tipped guard hairs that give them a "grizzled" appearance. Grizzlies often have a dished-in face and a large hump of heavy muscle above the shoulders. Their claws are around four inches long. Grizzlies usually weigh around 300-600 pounds but can grow up to 1,400 pounds. Adult Grizzlies can be six feet or more when standing on hind legs, and three to four feet when standing on all fours. Based on a multi-year DNA study, it's estimated that there are roughly 750 grizzly bears living within the Greater Yellowstone Area.
For more info: www.livewaterjacksonhole.com/the-jackson-hole-way/grizzly...
The long thick branches of green, lush trees entwine and protect the forest by forming a canopy. The forest floor, consisting of decaying leaves, flowers embedded deep into it's soil still gives life to the ferns, grasses, mushroom and tree seedlings. The bushes crowd each other and grow around the trees with, grass covering the forest floor protecting it. It seems chaotic to read doesn't it? This isn't even 1% of the chaos that gives life to an ecosystem & helps it thrive.
Why should we seek stability, when chaos is the reason behind birth, reincarnation (reference: dead leaves & flowers, etc), a full beautiful life & an elegant meaningful death?
I don't want to be stable if I can be a living, breathing, powerful body full of chaos.
Just something to think about.
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The National Elk Refuge lies on the other side of this fence, with the Gros Ventre Mountains behind.
By concentrating and feeding elk in winter, it contributes to the spread of diseases among the elk, deer, and bison in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Explored # 455 on February 28, 2021. Thank you, everyone, for your favorites and kind comments!
Le pale eoliche catturano l’energia del vento, trasformandola in elettricità per il nostro uso. Questo processo è solo una piccola parte di un ciclo molto più vasto: l’incessante scambio di energia tra il Sole, la Terra e lo spazio.
Il Sole invia fotoni ad alta energia che attraversano l’atmosfera e riscaldano la superficie terrestre. La Terra, a sua volta, non trattiene questa energia all’infinito, ma la restituisce allo spazio sotto forma di radiazione infrarossa, composta da molti fotoni a bassa energia.
Questa trasformazione è cruciale per mantenere il pianeta abitabile: se la Terra trattenesse tutta l’energia ricevuta, sarebbe un inferno rovente.
Ma il bilancio energetico che si crea alimenta qualcosa di molto più straordinario: l’aumento di entropia e informazione. È da qui che nascono il vento, le correnti oceaniche, la vita stessa, e persino il pensiero umano.
La nostra capacità di catturare una minima parte di questo flusso—come fanno le pale eoliche—è un esempio di come possiamo convivere con le leggi della natura senza interromperne l’armonia. Il Sole continua a splendere, il vento a soffiare, e la Terra a trasformare l’energia, creando e rigenerando il nostro mondo in un equilibrio dinamico che sostiene ogni cosa, dalle onde ai cieli stellati, fino alla complessità della coscienza umana.
#lapalma #canarie #windmills #energy #entropy
#energia #entropia #sostenibilità #fotoni #sole #vento #paleeoliche #terra #energiaeolica #bilancioenergetico #fotovoltaico #ambiente #equilibrio #complessità #vita #scienza #ecosistema #cambiamentoclimatico #bellezzanaturale #coscienza
#energy #entropy #sustainability #photons #sun #wind #windturbines #earth #renewableenergy #energybalance #solarenergy #environment #balance #complexity #life #science #ecosystem #climatechange #naturalbeauty #consciousness
The Gannett Hills in SW Wyoming. Salt Hollow. The creek is covered with watercress. This is on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
iPhone 14 Pro-8140..1
Saguenay Fjord, located in Quebec, Canada, is a stunning natural wonder carved by glaciers over millions of years. Stretching 105 km from Saint-Fulgence to the St. Lawrence River, it’s one of the world’s longest fjords, with dramatic cliffs rising up to 500 meters and depths reaching 275 meters. The fjord forms the heart of Saguenay Fjord National Park, a protected area known for its rich biodiversity, including beluga whales, seals, and peregrine falcons. Its unique marine ecosystem, fed by the mixing of fresh and saltwater, supports vibrant aquatic life.
Em Ourense, o Paseo Fluvial do Miño, que conecta a Via Vella às pontes históricas, oferece um testemunho da rica paisagem ribeirinha galega no início de dezembro. A imagem capturada revela um ecossistema em transição, onde árvores de folha caduca, como amieiros, freixos e salgueiros, iniciam o processo de despojamento, contrastando com o verde persistente do sub-bosque denso, composto por fetos e outras herbáceas que estabilizam o solo e mitigam a erosão. A presença constante de hera nos troncos sublinha a humidade característica deste corredor ecológico, vital para a regulação hidrológica e preservação da biodiversidade em ambiente urbano. O rio Minho, elemento estruturante da identidade de Ourense e o mais longo da Galiza, serpenteia ao fundo, revelando zonas de água lenta e barras de seixos, reflexo da dinâmica natural de deposição e caudais mais baixos na estação fria. Este passeio pedonal, integrado numa requalificação das frentes ribeirinhas, promove a mobilidade suave, a educação ambiental e valoriza o património natural e histórico da cidade, outrora assentamento romano atraído pelas termas e recursos hídricos abundantes.
In Ourense, the Miño River Walk, which connects the Via Vella to historic bridges, offers a glimpse of Galicia's rich riverside landscape in early December. The image captured reveals an ecosystem in transition, where deciduous trees such as alders, ash trees, and willows begin the process of shedding their leaves, contrasting with the persistent green of the dense undergrowth, composed of ferns and other herbaceous plants that stabilize the soil and mitigate erosion. The constant presence of ivy on the trunks highlights the characteristic humidity of this ecological corridor, vital for hydrological regulation and the preservation of biodiversity in an urban environment. The Minho River, a structuring element of Ourense's identity and the longest in Galicia, meanders in the background, revealing areas of slow water and pebble bars, reflecting the natural dynamics of deposition and lower flows in the cold season. This pedestrian walkway, part of a redevelopment of the riverfront, promotes soft mobility and environmental education and enhances the natural and historical heritage of the city, once a Roman settlement attracted by its thermal springs and abundant water resources.
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (German, Rhein-Main-Donau-Kanal), artificial waterway with stretches of canalized river, Germany. The canal section joining the Main and Danube rivers stretches 171 km (106 mi) from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim, and the whole system from the Main at its confluence with the Rhine to the Danube at Passau near the Austrian border is 677 km (420 mi) long. This forms part of a waterway traversing Europe, connecting the North Sea with the Black Sea and passing through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
From where the Main joins the central canal, to around Nuremberg, the countryside is largely hop fields and pasture, the canal reaching a high point of 406 m (1,332 ft) above sea level. Around Kelheim, the low, wooded hills become more densely forested and more dramatic as the canal reaches the Danube.
A cross-Europe canal like this has been a recurring dream of European politicians; as early as 793, Charlemagne made an aborted attempt to drain land for that purpose. In 1846, Ludwig I of Bavaria—using the labour of Italian Gastarbeiteren—laid the foundations by joining the Main and the Danube. Plans for a Rhine-Neckar-Danube canal were halted by World War I, and Ludwig's Canal was abandoned in 1950. Damage to Nuremberg meant that work only started on the Main above Bamberg in 1959, and did not reach Nuremberg until 1972. Completion dates for the canal were repeatedly revised until its opening on September 25, 1992.
Construction of the canal—costing an estimated total of DM six billion—is partly to be paid for by electricity generation at hydroelectric stations along its course. Eastern European business has been much greater than expected, though fears of damagingly cheap trading have been soothed by tariffs and restrictions that roughly equalize the flow of traffic east and west.
The completed waterway transports goods much more cheaply than by road, and some canal-side land has been bought by big oil companies. It is also popular with pleasure boats. Serious doubts though have been raised by the Bund Naturschutz, a German ecological movement—unique species of wildlife along the canal's course may be threatened and sections of canalized river choked by loss of tidal current. After a campaign working since 1965 and a petition in the 1980s, planners—backed by the pro-canal premier Helmut Kohl and defence minister Strauss—responded by high spending on ecological research and by providing, for example, alcoves cut into the canal's banks, meant to act as miniature ecosystems.
Taken from:
uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_781529615/rhine-main-danu...