The concept of biogeocenosis was introduced into scientific use in 1942 by academician Vladimir Nikolaevich Sukachev (1880-1967). According to his ideas, biogeocenosis is a set of homogeneous natural phenomena (rock, vegetation, fauna and the world of microorganisms, soil and hydrological conditions) over a certain extent of the earth’s surface, which has the specific interaction of these components that make it up and a certain type of exchange of matter and their energy between themselves and other natural phenomena.

Biogeocenosis is an open bioinert (i.e., consisting of living and nonliving matter) system, the main external source of which is the energy of solar radiation. This system consists of two main blocks. The first block, ecotope, combines all factors of inanimate nature (abiotic environment). This inert part of the system is formed by an aerotope - a set of factors in the above-ground environment (heat, light, humidity, etc.) and an edaphotope - a set of physical and chemical properties of the soil-ground environment. The second block, biocenosis, is a collection of all types of organisms. In functional terms, the biocenosis consists of autotrophs - organisms that, based on the use of the energy of sunlight, can create organic matter from inorganic, and heterotrophs - organisms that use organic matter created by autotrophs as a source of matter and energy.

A very important functional group is made up of diazotrophs - prokaryotic nitrogen-fixing organisms. They determine the sufficient autonomy of most natural biogeocenoses in providing plants with available nitrogen compounds. This includes both autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria and actinomycetes.

In literature, especially foreign literature, instead of the term biogeocenosis or along with it, they use the concept proposed by the English geobotanist Arthur Tansley and the German hydrobiologist Voltereck. Ecosystem and biogeocenosis are essentially identical concepts. However, an ecosystem is understood as a dimensionless formation. For example, a rotting stump in a forest, individual trees, and the forest phytocenosis in which these trees and the stump are located are considered as an ecosystem; forest area, which includes a number of phytocenoses; forest zone, etc. Biogeocenosis is always understood as a chorological (topographic) unit that has certain boundaries outlined by the boundaries of the phytocenosis included in its composition. “A biogeocenosis is an ecosystem within the boundaries of a phytocenosis” is an aphorism by one of V. N. Sukachev’s like-minded people. Ecosystem is a broader concept than biogeocenosis. An ecosystem can be not only a biogeocenosis, but also bioinert systems dependent on biogeocenoses, in which organisms are represented only by heterotrophs, as well as such man-made bioinert systems as a granary, an aquarium, a ship with the organisms inhabiting it, etc.

Consortia as structural and functional units of biocenoses

The idea of ​​consortia in the modern understanding of them as structural and functional biocenoses was formed in the early 50s of the 20th century. domestic scientists - zoologist Vladimir Nikolaevich Beklemishev and geobotanist Leonty Grigorievich Ramensky.

Consortia of populations of some plant species can consist of many tens or even hundreds of species of plants, animals, fungi and prokaryotes. More than 900 species of organisms are known in the first three concentrations alone in the warty birch (Betula verrucosa) consortium.

General characteristics of natural communities and their structure

The basic unit of natural communities is the biocenosis. Biocenosis is a community of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms inhabiting the same territory, mutually connected in the food chain and exerting a certain influence on each other.

The biocenosis consists of a plant community and organisms accompanying this community.

Plant community is a collection of plants growing in a given territory, forming the basis of a specific biocenosis.

The plant community is formed by autotrophic photosynthetic organisms, which are a source of nutrition for heterotrophic organisms (phytophages and detritivores).

Based on their ecological role, organisms forming a biocenosis are divided into producers, consumers, decomposers and detritivores of various orders.

The concept of “biogeocenosis” is closely related to the concept of “biocenosis”. The existence of an organism is impossible without its habitat, therefore the composition of the flora and fauna of a given community of organisms is greatly influenced by the substrate (its composition), climate, relief features of a given area, etc. All this makes it necessary to introduce the concept of “biogeocoenosis”.

Biogeocenosis is a stable self-regulating ecological system located in a given specific territory, in which organic components are closely and inextricably linked with inorganic ones.

Biogeocenoses are diverse, they are interconnected with each other in a certain way, they can be stable for a long time, but under the influence of changing external conditions or as a result of human activity they can change, die, and be replaced by other communities of organisms.

Biogeocenosis consists of two components: biota and biotope.

Biotope is a space relatively homogeneous in terms of abiotic factors, occupied by a biogeocenosis (biota) (sometimes a biotope is understood as the habitat of a species or its individual population).

Biota is a collection of various organisms that inhabit a given territory and are part of a given biogeocenosis. It is formed by two groups of organisms that differ in the way they feed - autotrophs and heterotrophs.

Autotrophic organisms (autotrophs) are those organisms that are able to absorb energy coming from the outside in the form of separate portions (quanta) with the help of chlorophyll or other substances, while these organisms synthesize organic substances from inorganic compounds.

Among autotrophs, a distinction is made between phototrophs and chemotrophs: the former include plants, the latter include chemosynthetic bacteria, such as sulfurbacter.

Heterotrophic organisms (heterotrophs) are organisms that feed on ready-made organic substances, the latter being both a source of energy (it is released during their oxidation) and a source of chemical compounds for the synthesis of their own organic substances.

Natural complexes in which vegetation has fully formed, and which can exist on their own, without human intervention, and if a person or something else disturbs them, they will be restored, and according to certain laws. Such natural complexes are biogeocenoses. The most complex and important natural biogeocenoses are forests. In no natural complex, no type of vegetation are these relationships expressed so sharply and so multifacetedly as in a forest.

Biogeocenosis is a set of homogeneous natural phenomena (atmosphere, rock, vegetation, fauna and the world of microorganisms, soil and hydrological conditions) over a certain extent of the earth's surface, which has a special specificity of interactions between these components that make it up and a certain type of metabolism and energy: among themselves and with other natural phenomena and representing an internal contradictory unity, in constant movement and development...”

This definition reflects all the essence of biogeocenosis, features and characteristics inherent only to it:

The biogeocenosis must be homogeneous in all respects: living and nonliving matter: vegetation, fauna, soil population, relief, parent rock, soil properties, depth and groundwater regimes;

Each biogeocenosis is characterized by the presence of a special, unique type of metabolism and energy,

All components of biogeocenosis are characterized by the unity of life and its environment, i.e. the features and patterns of life activity of a biogeocenosis are determined by its habitat, thus, biogeocenosis is a geographical concept.

In addition, each specific biogeocenosis must:

Be homogeneous in its history;

Be a fairly long-term established education;

Clearly differ in vegetation from neighboring biogeocenoses, and these differences must be natural and environmentally explainable.

Examples of biogeocenoses:

Mixed oak forest at the foot of the deluvial slope of southern exposure on mountain brown-forest medium-loamy soil;

Grass meadow in a hollow on loamy peaty soils,

A mixed-grass meadow on a high river floodplain on a floodplain soddy-gleyish medium loamy soil,

Larch lichen on Al-Fe-humus-podzolic soils,

Mixed broad-leaved forest with liana vegetation on the northern slope on brown forest soils, etc.

Biogeocenosis is the entire set of species and the entire set of components of inanimate nature that determine the existence of a given ecosystem, taking into account the inevitable anthropogenic impact."

The field of knowledge about biogeocenoses is called biogeocenology. To control natural processes, you need to know the laws to which they are subject. These patterns are studied by a number of sciences: meteorology, climatology, geology, soil science, hydrology, various departments of botany and zoology, microbiology, etc. Biogeocenology generalizes, synthesizes the results of the listed sciences from a certain angle, paying primary attention to the interactions of the components of biogeocenoses with each other and revealing general patterns governing these interactions.

2.Definition of biogeocenosis

"Biogeocenosis– this is a section of the earth’s surface on which, in close interaction, the following develop: vegetation that is homogeneous in composition and productivity, a homogeneous complex of animals and microorganisms, and soil that is homogeneous in physical and chemical composition; a homogeneous gas and climate situation is maintained, the same material and energy exchange is established between all components of the biogeocenosis" (V.N. Sukachev).

3.Component composition of biogeocenosis

Components of biogeocenosis– material bodies (components of biogeocenosis). They are divided into 2 groups:

1.Living (biotic, biocenosis)

2. Inert (abiotic substance, raw material) – ecotope, biotope.

These include carbon dioxide, water, oxygen, etc.

Biotic components of biogeocenosis:

1.Producers

2.Consumers

3. Decomposers (detritivores, destructors of organic substances).

Producers – organisms that produce (synthesize) organic substances from inorganic ones (green plants).

Consumers– organisms that consume ready-made organic substances. Primary consumers are herbivores. Secondary consumers are carnivores.

Decomposers – organisms that decompose organic substances to final decay products (bacteria of rotting and fermentation).

In biogeocenosis it is established ecological homeostasis– dynamic balance between all components of biogeocenosis.

Happens periodically ecological succession- natural change of communities in biogeocenosis.

There are several classifications of biogeocenoses.

I.1. Land, Freshwater, 2. Water, Marine

II. By geographical area:

1. Forest, 2. Swamp, 3. Steppe, 4. Meadow, 5. Tundra, etc.

III. Lobachev in 1978 identified biogeocenoses:

1) Natural 2) Rural (agrocenoses)

3) Urbanocenoses (urban, industrial)

4. Borders between biogeocenoses.

The configuration and boundaries of a biogeocenosis are determined, according to Sukachev, by the boundaries of its inherent phytocenosis, as its autotrophic base, physiognomically more clearly than other components that express it in space.

Horizontal boundaries between biogeocenoses, as well as between plant communities, according to J. Leme (1976), can be sharp, especially under conditions of human intervention, but they can also be vague, as if smeared in the case of interpenetration of components of neighboring biogeocenoses.

B. A Bykov (1970) distinguishes the following types of boundaries between plant communities and, consequently, between biogeocenoses

a) sharp boundaries are observed when there is a sharp difference in adjacent cenoses of environmental conditions or in the presence of dominants with powerful environment-forming properties;

b) mosaic boundaries, in contrast to sharp ones, are characterized by the inclusion in the transitional strip of adjacent cenoses of their individual fragments, forming a kind of complexity;

c) border boundaries - when in the contact zone of adjacent cenoses a narrow border of a cenosis develops that differs from both of them;

d) diffuse boundaries between adjacent cenoses are characterized by a gradual spatial change in species composition in the contact zone during the transition from one to another

The vertical boundaries of the biogeocenosis, as well as the horizontal ones, are determined by the location of the living plant biomass of the phytocenosis in space - the upper limit is determined by the maximum height of above-ground plant organs - phototrophs - above the soil surface, the lower limit is determined by the maximum depth of penetration of the root system into the soil.

At the same time, in tree and shrub biogeocenoses, vertical boundaries, as T. A. Rabotnov writes (1974a), do not change during the growing season, while in grass biogeocenoses (meadow, steppe, etc.) they vary by season, as occurs either an increase in grass stand, or a decrease in it, or complete alienation in hayfields and pastures. only their lower boundaries are not subject to seasonal changes.

Think about your home and all the objects and inhabitants in it. You probably have furniture, books, food in your refrigerator, a family, and maybe even pets. Your home is made up of many living organisms and non-living objects. Like a house, any ecosystem is a community of living individuals and nonliving things that coexist in the same space. These communities have boundaries that are not always clear, and it is often difficult to know where one ecosystem ends and another begins. This is the main difference between it and biogeocenosis. We will consider examples of these and other systems in more detail below.

Ecosystem: Definition

Just like a car engine is made up of several parts that work together, an ecosystem has interacting elements that keep it running.

According to the definition of V.N. Sukachev, an ecosystem is a set of homogeneous natural phenomena in a certain territory (atmosphere, rock, vegetation, fauna and the world of microorganisms, soil and hydrological conditions), which has a special specificity of the interactions of these components and a certain type of metabolism and energy (between each other and with other natural phenomena) and representing an internal contradictory unity, in constant movement and development.

Living things are biotic traits and non-living things are abiotic traits. Each ecosystem is unique, but they all have three main components:

• Autotrophs (energy producers).
• Heterotrophs (energy consumers).
• Inanimate nature.

Plants make up the majority of autotrophs in an ecosystem, while the majority of heterotrophs are animals. Nonliving matter is soil, sediment, leaf litter, and other organic matter on the ground or at the bottom of bodies of water. There are two types of ecosystems - closed and open. The first are those that do not have any resources (energy exchange from the environment) or outputs (energy exchange from within the ecosystem). Open ones are those that have both an exchange of energy and the results of an internal exchange.

Ecosystem classification

Ecosystems come in many shapes and sizes, but classifying them helps scientists better understand and manage their processes. They can be classified in a variety of ways, but most often they are defined as terrestrial and aquatic. There are many types of ecosystems, but three of them, also called biomes, are the main ones. This:

1. Freshwater.
2. Marine.
3. Ground.

Freshwater ecosystems

If we talk about freshwater ecosystems, we can name the following examples of natural biogeocenoses:

• A pond is a relatively small body of water that contains various types of plants, amphibians and insects. Ponds sometimes contain fish, which are often artificially introduced into these environments by humans.
• River ecosystem. Since rivers are always connected to seas, they usually contain plants, fish, amphibians and even insects. This is an example of a biogeocenosis that may also include birds because birds often hunt in and around water for small fish or insects. An example of the biogeocenosis of a freshwater reservoir is any freshwater environment. The smallest living part of the food chain here is plankton, which is often eaten by fish and other small creatures.

Marine ecosystems

Ocean ecosystems are relatively discreet, although they, like freshwater ecosystems, also include some birds that hunt fish and insects on the ocean surface. Examples of the natural biogeocenosis of these ecosystems:

• Shallow water. Some small fish and corals live only close to land.
• Deep water. Large and even gigantic creatures can live deep in the waters of the World Ocean. Some of the strangest creatures in the world live right at the bottom.
• Warm water. Warmer waters, such as those in the Pacific Ocean, contain some of the most impressive and complex ecosystems in the world.
• Cold water. Less diverse cold waters also support relatively complex ecosystems. Plankton usually form the base of the food chain, following small fish that are eaten by larger fish or other wildlife such as seals or penguins.

Plankton and other plants that inhabit ocean waters near the surface are responsible for 40% of all photosynthesis that occurs on Earth. There are also herbivorous creatures (for example, shrimp) that feed on plankton. They themselves are then usually eaten by larger individuals - fish. Interestingly, plankton cannot exist in the deep ocean because photosynthesis is impossible there, since light cannot penetrate that far into the water column. It is here that the creatures have adapted to the conditions of eternal darkness in very interesting ways and are among the most fascinating, scary and intriguing living things on Earth.

Terrestrial ecosystems

Here are examples of biogeocenoses found on earth:

• Tundra is an ecosystem found in northern latitudes such as Northern Canada, Greenland and Siberia. This community marks a point called the tree line because it is where cold and limited sunlight make it difficult for trees to fully grow. Tundra typically has relatively simple ecosystems due to its harsh living conditions.
• The taiga is slightly more favorable for tree growth because it lies lower in latitude. And yet she is still quite cold. The taiga is found in northern latitudes and is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. The types of trees that have taken root here are conifers (fir trees, cedars and pines).
• Temperate deciduous forest. It is based on trees whose leaves turn beautiful colors - red, yellow and orange - before falling off. This type of ecosystem is found in latitudes below the taiga, and it is there that we begin to see alternating seasonal changes such as warm summers and cold winters. There are many different types of forests around the world, including deciduous and coniferous. They are inhabited by many species of animals and plants, so the ecosystem here is very rich. It is difficult to list all examples of natural biogeocenoses within such a community.
• Tropical forests typically have extremely rich ecosystems because there are so many different species of animals and plants in a fairly small area.
• Deserts. This is an example of a biogeocenosis, which is the opposite of the tundra in many respects. Although this is also a harsh ecosystem in terms of conditions.
• Savannas differ from deserts in the amount of precipitation that falls there each year. Consequently, there is greater biological diversity here.
• Grasslands support a wide range of life and can have very complex and involved ecosystems.

Because there are so many different types of terrestrial ecosystems, it is difficult to make generalizations that cover them all. Examples of biogeocenosis in nature are so diverse that it is difficult to generalize them. Nevertheless, there are similarities. For example, most ecosystems contain herbivores that eat plants (who in turn get nutrition from the sun and the soil), and all have carnivores that eat herbivores and other carnivores. Some regions, such as the North Pole, are mainly inhabited by predators. There is no vegetation in the world of snowy silence. Many animals and plants in terrestrial ecosystems also interact with freshwater and sometimes ocean communities.

Complex systems

Ecosystems are vast and complex. They include chains of animals - from the largest mammals to the smallest insects - along with plants, fungi and various microorganisms. All these life forms interact and influence each other. Bears and birds eat fish, shrews eat insects, and caterpillars eat leaves. Everything in nature is in a delicate balance. But scientists like technical terms, so this balance of organisms in an ecosystem is often referred to as homeostasis (self-regulation) of the ecosystem.

In the real world of communities, nothing can be perfectly balanced. Thus, when an ecosystem is in equilibrium, it means that it is in a relatively stable state: the populations of different animals remain in the same range, their numbers may increase and decrease at a certain stage, but there is no general trend "up" or "down".

Conditions for gradual change

Over time, conditions in nature change, including the size of a particular population. This happens all the time, as some species compete with others, often due to climate and landscape changes. Animals must adapt to their environment. It is important to understand that in nature these processes occur slowly. Even rocks and landscapes change over a given geological period, and systems that appear to be in stable equilibrium are not.

When we talk about ecosystem homeostasis, we focus on relative time frames. Let's give a relatively simple example of biogeocenosis: lions eat gazelles, and gazelles eat wild grasses. If in one particular year the lion population increases, the number of gazelles will decrease. Consequently, the grass cover of wild plants will increase. Next year there may no longer be enough gazelles to feed the lions. This will cause the number of predators to decrease, and with more grass, the gazelle population will increase. This will continue for several continuous cycles that cause populations to move up and down within a certain range.

We can give examples of biogeocenoses that will not be so balanced. This is due to the impact of anthropogenic factors - cutting down trees, releasing greenhouse gases that warm the planet, hunting animals, etc. We are currently experiencing the fastest extinction of certain forms in history. Whenever an animal disappears or its population declines rapidly, we can talk about disequilibrium. For example, since the beginning of 2016, there are only 60 Amur leopards left in the world, as well as only 60 Javan rhinoceroses.

What is necessary for survival?

What important things are needed for survival? There are five elements that are necessary for all living beings:

• sunlight;
• water;
• air;
• food;
• habitat with the right temperature.

What is an ecosystem? This is a specific area either in water or on land. Ecosystems can be small (a place under a rock or inside a tree trunk, a pond, a lake or a forest) or large, such as the ocean or our entire planet. The living organisms in an ecosystem, plants, animals, trees and insects, interact with and depend on non-living components such as weather, soil, sun and climate.

Food chains

In an ecosystem, all living things need food for energy. Green plants are called producers in the food chain. With the help of the sun they can produce their own food. This is the very first level of the food chain. Primary consumers, such as insects, caterpillars, cows and sheep, consume (eat) plants. Animals (lions, snakes, wild cats) are secondary consumers.

Ecosystem is a term very often used in biology. It, as already mentioned, is a community of plants and animals interacting with each other in a given area, as well as with the non-living environment. Nonliving components include climatic and weather conditions, sun, soil, and atmosphere. And all these different organisms live in close proximity to each other and interact with each other. An example of a forest biogeocenosis, where there are both rabbits and foxes, clearly shows the relationships between these representatives of the fauna. The fox eats the rabbit to survive. This connection has an impact on other creatures and even plants that live in the same or similar conditions.

Examples of ecosystems and biogeocenoses

Ecosystems can be huge, with many hundreds of different animals and plants living in a delicate balance, or they can be relatively small. In harsh places, especially at the poles, ecosystems are relatively simple because there are only a few species that can withstand the harsh conditions. Some beings may live in several different communities around the world and have different relationships with other or similar beings.

The Earth as an ecosystem stands out throughout the Universe. Is it possible to manage ecological systems? Using the example of biogeocenoses, you can see how any intervention can provoke a lot of changes, both positive and negative.

An entire ecosystem can be destroyed if temperatures rise, sea levels rise, or climate changes. It can affect the natural balance and cause harm to living organisms. This can happen due to human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, as well as natural phenomena such as floods, storms, fires or volcanic eruptions.

Food chains of biogeocenosis: examples

At a basic functional level, a biogeocenosis usually includes primary producers (plants) that are able to harvest energy from the sun through a process called photosynthesis. This energy then flows through the food chain. Next come the consumers: primary (herbivores) and secondary (carnivores). These consumers feed on captured energy. Decomposers work at the bottom of the food chain.

Dead tissue and waste products occur at all levels. Scavengers, detrivores and decomposers not only consume this energy, but also destroy organic matter, breaking it down into its components. It is the microbes that finish the job of decomposition and produce organic components that can be used again by manufacturers.

Biogeocenosis in the forest

Before giving examples of forest biogeocenosis, let us return once again to the concept of ecosystem. The forest has an abundance of flora, so it is inhabited by a large number of organisms existing within a relatively small space. The density of living organisms here is quite high. To verify this, you should consider at least a few examples of forest biogeocenoses:

• Tropical evergreen forest. Receives an impressive amount of rainfall per year. The main characteristic is the presence of dense vegetation, which includes tall trees at different levels, each of which provides shelter for different species of animals.
• Tropical deciduous forest consists of shrubs and dense shrubs along with a wide variety of trees. This type is characterized by a wide variety of fauna and flora.
• Temperate evergreen forest - there are quite a lot of trees, as well as mosses and ferns.
• Temperate deciduous forest is located in humid temperate latitudes with adequate rainfall. Summer and winter are clearly defined, and trees lose their leaves during the fall and winter months.
• The taiga, located just before the Arctic regions, is characterized by evergreen coniferous trees. The temperature is low (below zero) for six months, and life here seems to freeze at this time. During other periods, the taiga is full of migratory birds and insects.

Mountains

Another striking example of natural biogeocenosis. Mountain ecosystems are very diverse and a large number of animals and plants can be found here. The main feature of mountains is the dependence of climate and soil on altitude, that is, altitudinal zonation. At impressive altitudes, harsh environmental conditions usually prevail and only treeless alpine vegetation survives. The animals that are found there have thick fur. The lower slopes are usually covered with coniferous forests.

Human influence

Together with the term “ecosystem”, a similar concept is used in ecology - “biogeocenosis”. Examples with descriptions were first given in 1944 by the Soviet ecologist Sukachev. He proposed the following definition: biogeocenosis is the interaction between a set of organisms and a habitat. He gave the first examples of biogeocenosis and biocenosis (a living component of an ecological system).

Today, biogeocenosis is considered as a relatively homogeneous piece of land inhabited by a certain composition of living beings that are in close relationships with elements of inanimate nature and the metabolism and energy associated with it. Examples of biogeocenosis in nature are varied, but all these communities interact within a clear framework defined by a homogeneous phytocenosis: meadow, pine forest, pond, and so on. Is it possible to somehow influence the course of events in ecosystems?

Let us consider, using the example of biogeocenoses, the possibilities of managing ecological systems. Humans are always the main threat to the environment, and although there are many environmental organizations, conservationists will be one step behind in their efforts when faced with large corporate enterprises. Urban development, construction of dams, land drainage - all this contributes to the ever-increasing destruction of various natural ecosystems. Although many business corporations have been warned about their destructive impact, not everyone is taking these problems seriously.

Any biogeocenosis is an ecosystem, but not every ecosystem is a biogeocenosis

A striking example of biogeocenosis is a pine forest. But the puddle on its territory is an ecosystem. It is not a biogeocenosis. But the entire forest can also be called an ecosystem. Thus, both of these concepts are similar, but not identical. An example of a biogeocenosis is any ecosystem limited by a certain phytocenosis - a plant community that includes a set of plant species diversity determined by environmental environmental conditions. An interesting example is the biosphere, which is a huge ecosystem, but not a biogeocenosis, since it itself consists of numerous bricks - biogeocenoses diverse in form and content.

Environments within the same territory, interconnected by the cycle of substances and the flow of energy (natural ecosystem). It is a stable self-regulating ecological system in which organic components (animals, plants) are inextricably linked with inorganic ones (water, soil). Examples: pine forest, mountain valley. The doctrine of biogeocenosis was developed by Vladimir Sukachev in 1942. It is rarely used in foreign literature. Previously also widely used in German scientific literature.

Biogeocenosis and ecosystem

Properties

Basic indicators

• Species composition- the number of species living in the biogeocenosis.
• Species diversity- the number of species living in a biogeocenosis per unit area or volume.

In most cases, species composition and species diversity do not coincide quantitatively, and species diversity directly depends on the study area.

• Biomass- the number of organisms of the biogeocenosis, expressed in units of mass. Most often, biomass is divided into:
  • biomass producers
  • biomass of consumers
  • biomass of decomposers
• Productivity
• Sustainability
• Self-regulation ability

Spatial characteristics

The transition of one biogeocenosis to another in space or time is accompanied by a change in the states and properties of all its components and, consequently, a change in the nature of biogeocenotic metabolism. The boundaries of a biogeocenosis can be traced on many of its components, but more often they coincide with the boundaries of plant communities (phytocenoses). The thickness of a biogeocenosis is not homogeneous either in the composition and state of its components, or in the conditions and results of their biogeocenotic activity. It is differentiated into above-ground, underground, underwater parts, which in turn are divided into elementary vertical structures - bio-geohorizons, very specific in composition, structure and state of living and inert components. To denote the horizontal heterogeneity, or mosaic nature of the biogeocenosis, the concept of biogeocenotic parcels was introduced. Like biogeocenosis as a whole, this concept is complex, since the parcel includes vegetation, animals, microorganisms, soil, and atmosphere as participants in metabolism and energy.

Mechanisms of stability of biogeocenoses

One of the properties of biogeocenoses is the ability to self-regulate, that is, to maintain its composition at a certain stable level. This is achieved thanks to the stable circulation of substances and energy. The stability of the cycle itself is ensured by several mechanisms:

• sufficiency of living space, that is, such a volume or area that provides one organism with all the resources it needs.
• richness of species composition. The richer it is, the more stable the food chain and, consequently, the circulation of substances.
• a variety of species interactions that also maintain the strength of trophic relationships.
• environment-forming properties of species, that is, the participation of species in the synthesis or oxidation of substances.
• direction of anthropogenic impact.

Thus, the mechanisms ensure the existence of unchanging biogeocenoses, which are called stable. A stable biogeocenosis that exists for a long time is called climax. There are few stable biogeocenoses in nature; stable ones are more common - changing biogeocenoses, but capable, thanks to self-regulation, of returning to their original, starting position.

Forms of existing relationships between organisms in biogeocenoses

The joint life of organisms in biogeocenoses occurs in the form of 6 main types of relationships:

Literature

• Razumovsky S. M. Patterns of dynamics of biogeocenoses: Izbr. works. - M.: KMK Scientific Press, 1999.
• Tsvetkov V.F. Forest biogeocenosis / V. F. Tsvetkov. 2nd ed. Arkhangelsk, 2003. 267 p.

Links

.

Natural areas Functional components Structural Components Abiotic components Operation Ecosystem pollution

An excerpt characterizing Biogeocenosis

Natasha knew that she had to leave, but she could not do it: something was squeezing her throat, and she looked discourteously, directly, with open eyes at Prince Andrei.
"Now? This minute!... No, this can’t be!” she thought.
He looked at her again, and this look convinced her that she was not mistaken. “Yes, now, this very minute, her fate was being decided.”
“Come, Natasha, I’ll call you,” the countess said in a whisper.
Natasha looked at Prince Andrei and her mother with frightened, pleading eyes, and left.
“I came, Countess, to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage,” said Prince Andrei. The countess's face flushed, but she said nothing.
“Your proposal...” the countess began sedately. “He was silent, looking into her eyes. – Your offer... (she was embarrassed) we are pleased, and... I accept your offer, I’m glad. And my husband... I hope... but it will depend on her...
“I’ll tell her when I have your consent... do you give it to me?” - said Prince Andrei.
“Yes,” said the countess and extended her hand to him and, with a mixed feeling of aloofness and tenderness, pressed her lips to his forehead as he leaned over her hand. She wanted to love him like a son; but she felt that he was a stranger and a terrible person for her. “I’m sure my husband will agree,” said the countess, “but your father...
“My father, to whom I told my plans, made it an indispensable condition of consent that the wedding should take place no earlier than a year. And this is what I wanted to tell you,” said Prince Andrei.
– It’s true that Natasha is still young, but for so long.
“It couldn’t be otherwise,” said Prince Andrei with a sigh.
“I will send it to you,” said the countess and left the room.
“Lord, have mercy on us,” she repeated, looking for her daughter. Sonya said that Natasha is in the bedroom. Natasha sat on her bed, pale, with dry eyes, looking at the icons and, quickly crossing herself, whispering something. Seeing her mother, she jumped up and rushed to her.
- What? Mom?... What?
- Go, go to him. “He asks for your hand,” the countess said coldly, as it seemed to Natasha... “Come... come,” the mother said with sadness and reproach after her running daughter, and sighed heavily.
Natasha did not remember how she entered the living room. Entering the door and seeing him, she stopped. “Has this stranger really become everything to me now?” she asked herself and instantly answered: “Yes, that’s it: he alone is now dearer to me than everything in the world.” Prince Andrei approached her, lowering his eyes.
“I loved you from the moment I saw you.” Can I hope?
He looked at her, and the serious passion in her expression struck him. Her face said: “Why ask? Why doubt something you can’t help but know? Why talk when you can’t express in words what you feel.”
She approached him and stopped. He took her hand and kissed it.
– Do you love me?
“Yes, yes,” Natasha said as if with annoyance, sighed loudly, and another time, more and more often, and began to sob.
- About what? What's wrong with you?
“Oh, I’m so happy,” she answered, smiled through her tears, leaned closer to him, thought for a second, as if asking herself if this was possible, and kissed him.
Prince Andrei held her hands, looked into her eyes, and did not find in his soul the same love for her. Something suddenly turned in his soul: there was no former poetic and mysterious charm of desire, but there was pity for her feminine and childish weakness, there was fear of her devotion and gullibility, a heavy and at the same time joyful consciousness of the duty that forever connected him with her. The real feeling, although it was not as light and poetic as the previous one, was more serious and stronger.
– Did maman tell you that this cannot be earlier than a year? - said Prince Andrei, continuing to look into her eyes. “Is it really me, that girl child (everyone said that about me) Natasha thought, is it really from this moment that I am the wife, equal to this stranger, sweet, intelligent man, respected even by my father. Is that really true! Is it really true that now it’s no longer possible to joke with life, now I’m big, now I’m responsible for my every deed and word? Yes, what did he ask me?
“No,” she answered, but she did not understand what he was asking.
“Forgive me,” said Prince Andrei, “but you are so young, and I have already experienced so much of life.” I'm scared for you. You don't know yourself.
Natasha listened with concentrated attention, trying to understand the meaning of his words and did not understand.
“No matter how difficult this year will be for me, delaying my happiness,” continued Prince Andrei, “in this period you will believe in yourself.” I ask you to make my happiness in a year; but you are free: our engagement will remain a secret, and if you were convinced that you do not love me, or would love me ... - said Prince Andrei with an unnatural smile.
- Why are you saying this? – Natasha interrupted him. “You know that from the very day you first arrived in Otradnoye, I fell in love with you,” she said, firmly convinced that she was telling the truth.
– In a year you will recognize yourself...
- The whole year! – Natasha suddenly said, now only realizing that the wedding had been postponed for a year. - Why a year? Why a year?...” Prince Andrei began to explain to her the reasons for this delay. Natasha didn't listen to him.
- And it’s impossible otherwise? – she asked. Prince Andrei did not answer, but his face expressed the impossibility of changing this decision.
- It's horrible! No, this is terrible, terrible! – Natasha suddenly spoke and began to sob again. “I’ll die waiting a year: this is impossible, this is terrible.” “She looked into the face of her fiancé and saw on him an expression of compassion and bewilderment.
“No, no, I’ll do everything,” she said, suddenly stopping her tears, “I’m so happy!” – Father and mother entered the room and blessed the bride and groom.

The essence of the concepts ecosystem, biogeocenosis

In biology, three concepts that are similar in meaning are used:

Biogeocenosis(Greek “bios” - life, “geo” - earth, “tsenos” - general) - a structural and functional elementary unit of the biosphere. It is a stable self-regulating ecological system in which organic components (animals, plants) are inextricably linked with inorganic ones (water, soil). For example, a lake, a pine forest, a mountain valley (Fig. 8.1). The doctrine of biogeocenosis was developed by academician Vladimir Sukachev (Fig. 8.10) in 1940.

Biogeocenosis- biocenosis, which is considered in interaction with abiotic factors influencing it and, in turn, changing under its influence. Biocenosis has a synonym community, the concept is also close to him ecosystem.

Ecosystem- a group of organisms of different species interconnected by the cycle of substances.

Every biogeocenosis is an ecosystem, but not every ecosystem is a biogeocenosis. To characterize biogeocenosis, two similar concepts are used: biotope And ecotop (factors of inanimate nature: climate, soil). Biotope- this is the territory occupied by a biogeocenosis. Ecotop is a biotope that is influenced by organisms from other biogeocenoses. The ecotope also consists of climate (climatope) in all its diverse manifestations and the geological environment (soils and soils), called edaphotope. Edaphotope- this is where the biocenosis draws its means for existence and where it releases waste products.

Properties of biogeocenosis:

natural, historically established system;

a system capable of self-regulation and maintaining its composition at a certain constant level;

characterized by the circulation of substances;

an open system for the entry and exit of energy, the main source of which is the Sun.

Fig. 8.1 Biocenosis of the tropical forest

Fig. 8.1a Pond biocenosis

Main indicators of biogeocenosis:

Species composition- the number of species living in the biogeocenosis.

Species diversity- the number of species living in a biogeocenosis per unit area or volume.

In most cases, species composition and species diversity do not coincide quantitatively, and species diversity directly depends on the study area.

Biomass- the number of organisms of the biogeocenosis, expressed in units of mass. Most often, biomass is divided into (Fig. 8.2):

biomass of producers;

biomass of consumers;

biomass of decomposers

Fig. 8.2 The concept of consumers and producers

Mechanisms of stability of biogeocenoses

One of the properties of biogeocenoses is the ability to self-regulate, that is, to maintain its composition at a certain stable level. This is achieved thanks to the stable circulation of substances and energy. The stability of the cycle itself is ensured by several mechanisms:

sufficiency of living space, that is, such a volume or area that provides one organism with all the resources it needs.

richness of species composition. The richer it is, the more stable the food chain and, consequently, the circulation of substances.

a variety of species interactions that also maintain the strength of trophic relationships.

environment-forming properties of species, that is, the participation of species in the synthesis or oxidation of substances.

direction of anthropogenic impact.

Thus, the mechanisms ensure the existence of unchanging biogeocenoses, which are called stable. A stable biogeocenosis that exists for a long time is called climactic. There are few stable biogeocenoses in nature; stable ones are more common - changing biogeocenoses, but capable, thanks to self-regulation, of returning to their original, starting position.